


Trust Me

by irnnotaboutthatlife



Series: Trust Me [1]
Category: YuYu Hakusho, 幽☆遊☆白書 | YuYu Hakusho: Ghost Files
Genre: F/M, Lemon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-14
Updated: 2015-07-29
Packaged: 2018-04-09 05:56:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 27,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4336457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irnnotaboutthatlife/pseuds/irnnotaboutthatlife
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All you've ever known in life were fighting and becoming stronger under your master, Genkai. You have always longed for a normal life, but once you get it, it's not as you expected. There's still an empty feeling deep down, but you're not sure what it is. One day, four boys come up to you, asking for your help to win something called the Dark Tournament. If you go, it means dragging you back into a world of danger and pain. Will you finally be able to fill the hole in your heart, or will a demon be ripping it out instead?<br/>Hiei x Reader<br/>The sequel to Trust Me is now up! It's called Remember Me</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. What it's like

**Author's Note:**

  * For [animechick725](https://archiveofourown.org/users/animechick725/gifts).



> Author's note: Hey guys! Okay, so we're gonna start from the beginning. Way before Yusuke became spirit detective. You're about 12 years old. Okay here we go!

As the sun began to rise, its rays peeking out through the blinds, you realize that you're already running behind schedule. You knew Genkai was going to murder you for being late for training again, but you couldn't bring yourself to get out of bed just yet. You lazily opened one eye, slowly stretching, and kicking away at the blankets. You stared up at the ceiling, wondering if this was all that life had to offer you. You rolled over, staring at the streams of sunshine slipping past the blinds hanging from your window. You sighed, accepting that you needed to get up before the old psychic kicked your ass....again.

Slowly, you stood up and walked out of the temple, and waited in the empty field near your master's home. Your teacher was nowhere to be seen, but that didn't discourage you. You knew she was out there somewhere, waiting for an opportunity to attack you. You stayed on a high alert, being used to the paranoia she had put you through over the years. A calming breeze rushed past you, disrupting your thoughts. It was so quiet high up in the mountains, you could barely hear the city that lived far below. You could only imagine what life was like there. You imagine all the people rushing past you, the hustle and bustle that only the city life can bring. People your age, worrying about school and grades, instead of fighting and concentrating on strengthening your spirit energy.

You shook you head, a rueful smile spreading across your face. That wasn't the life you were meant to lead, you could never obtain something so...ordinary, could you? These thoughts have been burning to the surface for the past few months. You're tried your best to contain them, but it appeared to be of no use. While your mind drifted, a small figure dashed across the field, racing towards you. You were so caught up in your thoughts, you were barely able to dodge the swift kick from your master.

"SLACKER! SO I SEE HER MAJESTY IS FINALLY AWAKE!" she yelled, wildly swinging her fists. After the four years of training with her, you were able to dodge her moves, and counter her attacks. But you were not nearly fast enough to escape her.

"I'M SORRY, TEACHER. I JUST COULDN'T FALL ASLEEP AGAIN" you yelled back, trying your best to find a weak spot in her attacks. 'Flawless as always,' you thought to yourself; but before you could make another attempt to block her, you stumbled on a rock, a fatal mistake. You could feel the attack before you even saw it, being blown away hundreds of feet from where you once stood. You felt the bruises forming on your ribs where Genkai had punched you. You winced as you tried your best to get up without stumbling. If you looked like you were in terrible pain, she'd make you sleep with the snakes again, or worse, balance yourself on a needle using nothing but your spirit energy for 12 hours; you shuddered at the thought.

"Sloppy. What's gotten into you, Y/N?" she demanded. Her eyebrows furrowed in frustration, a slight look of disgust in her eyes. You couldn't bear to look at her, knowing you had disappointed her as usual.

"Genkai..." you said softly, afraid of what she was going to say. "I know we spoke of this before, but I was wondering if you would just let me go to the city...?" your voice began to grow a little louder with each word, almost in a pleading tone. "Just once! I just need to know what it's like. I just want to know what I could be missing..." You looked up towards the sky, as if searching for the answers there would help. You could feel her staring at you, but you still would not face her, too afraid to see the anger on her face. You waited for what seemed like an eternity, until you heard an exasperated sigh. This wasn't what you expected...you thought she was going to yell, scream, or attack you like she had before.

But instead, she sounded...almost tired as she said, "Y/N, ever since you parents passed away, I had raised you. I always assumed you would take my place, and learn everything that I knew. I assumed you would willingly accept being my apprentice and never ask for anything else. Like your mother, you are a gifted fighter. Like your father, you are a gifted healer. Learning to not only control your spirit energy, but to use it to control the metals in the earth. I assumed this life would have been enough for you, like it was for your parents and I, but clearly I assumed wrong." She turned her back away from you, arms folded behind her.

You stood there in silence for a while, then she continued, "I should have known that the hermit lifestyle wasn't for you." Her back was still turned to you, but you could almost hear the smirk on her voice. "Of course, you're still so young. You want to explore the world. Meet new people. What did I expect?" She finally turned to you, a small smile was painted on her face. Her eyes had a hint of something you hadn't seen in a while, was it happiness? Was it...love? Before you could decipher it, she started to walk back towards the temple.

"Y/N, you are old enough to decide what you want in life. You may be young, but you're no dimwit. Whatever you decide to do; stay, go, whichever, I will accept your decision. But don't keep me waiting." And with that, she quickly disappeared back into her temple. You stared up at the sky again, believing there had to be an answer up there this time.

**************

-A few years later, you're now 15.-

You stared at the board, wondering when this awful class was going to end. 'I don't understand why I decided to take honors algebra, why do I keep doing this to myself?' you complained in your head. You had to fight the urge of shooting yourself with a spirit gun or summoning a sword with your spirit energy to stab your textbook with.

Finally, the bell rang, and you grabbed your stuff as quickly as you could before any more of you life was stolen from this hell hole you called school. You quickly walked past other students in the hall, not wanting to waste time with small talk when you could be at home, sleeping, eating, or just ignoring all responsibilities for as long as you can.

You were almost out the door when a hand grabbed your arm, "Hey Y/N, a couple of us were going to see a movie later, and I was wondering if you'd wanna be my date?" You looked up and saw it was Hiroshi, one of the cutest boys in your class. You blushed, and tried to think up a good excuse. Sure he was cute, but you had no interest in hanging out at the moment. You just wanted to get home, and well...not socialize. "Um...I uh--, I am REALLY busy, got a lot of work to do! You know me! HAHA!" you winced internally at how loud that laugh was.

'God why am I so bad at this. Thank you, Genkai. You sure did raise me to be quite the people person,' you cursed to yourself. Hiroshi didn't seem to mind, in fact, he smiled at you, so genuine, it almost broke your heart. "That's okay!" he laughed, "Maybe next time?" All you could manage was a weak nod and ran out the doors as quickly as you could. When you finally got home, you threw your stuff down and slouched on the couch, trying your best to get comfortable. You stared at the small apartment you owned. Well technically, it was under Genkai's name since you were too young to "own" it, but the money came from your parents savings account, and you were able to pay off the bills with the part time job you had. It was quiet in the apartment, but you were used to that by now. You laid on the couch, wondering if you had made the right decision. Sure, you were happy with the life you had now. You made friends, you enjoyed the rush of the city, but for some reason you still felt...empty.

With a sigh, you stood up and grabbed your bag, carrying it to the kitchen table. You pulled out your textbook, and started working on those math problems you were dreading.

The next day, you rose out of bed before the sun has risen and ran to the place you went to every weekend. Deep in the forest, a few miles away from Genkai's temple, you started to train. You stood on a rock, balancing your entire body on one finger, using nothing but your spirit energy, and you held that pose for four hours. Then, you focused on speed training for another hour. Finally, you worked on forming strong weapons with your spirit energy. Swords, arrows, knives, you tried them all. And when that was all finished, you used your energy to heal yourself, as practice and for your own benefit.

You would never admit it to anyone, especially Genkai, but you missed how strong you felt every time your trained. You missed the unexpected attacks and drills she would put you through. You missed the overall excitement of fighting. If only you could just live that life one more time.


	2. The Fifth Member

Hiei's POV (sorry if it's a bit OOC)

I watched alongside Kurama as Toguro demolished the building using nothing but his bare fists. Once he was done trying to strike fear into the detective, he looked up towards us, at the top of a nearby building where we stood, knowing that we had to fight in the Dark Tournament as well.

"Make sure you have a strong fifth member," he warned. I couldn't help but roll my eyes with disgust. Where were we going to find a fifth member? I would hardly count that ugly oaf Kuwabara as member, so we'd need someone to make up for his slack as well.

"What are our chances?" Kurama asked me. I turned my back away from him. "Don't ask," I mumbled. I sped away, wondering if I knew of any demon who was even close to a match in my strength or Kurama's. Even someone with Yusuke's abilities would suffice. Kurama was running right behind me, despite his human form, he was still able to keep up.

"Perhaps we could gather the team, and see if one of us could find a capable member?" Typical Kurama, trying to include the humans, as if they were equals. I rolled my eyes, and said, "Fine. But I doubt they'd have anyone useful in mind." And with that, I sped away, leaving him behind without a second thought. I needed some rest before meeting with the detective and the other fool, they tired me out just talking to them.

The next day, Kurama and I waited for Yusuke at Genkai's temple. We were ordered by Koenma, though I doubt the old hag could really assist us. "Hey guys," Yusuke waved, smiling as if we were close friends. I swear, you do one little favor to help these humans, and they swear they're your best friend. Yusuke walked towards us with that idiot Kuwabara trailing behind him.

"Listen," the detective began, "I'm really glad we're all on the same team. With us working together, nothing can beat us!" His enthusiasm was making me nauseous. "Yes well that's all fine and dandy," I said, sarcasm dripping in my voice, "but explain to me how this old hag is going to help us." Suddenly, I sensed something coming my way, I easily dodged it and turned to see where it had come from. Genkai's arm was outstretched towards me, getting ready to throw what seemed to be a large rock.

"Call me a hag again and I swear I won't miss," she threatened. I couldn't help but smirk at her, she was tough. I liked that. "So, I hear you all have been chosen, or rather, forced, to participate in this year's Dark Tournament," she shook her head with disgust. "Yeah well, listen grandma," Yusuke began, "Koenma told me you used to have a really good student who lived with you. Apparently she was pretty kick ass, and I was wondering if you could get her to join our team? We really need a fifth member, unless you wanna join?" The detective had a gleam of hope in his eyes, one the hag easily destroyed. "HA! You couldn't pay me enough to go through that again!"

"Again? the detective asked, but the old psychic completely ignored him. "Yes I did have a student, a couple years before you, dimwit. But she abandoned her teachings a few years ago. She chose to live a normal life, and well...." she looked out towards the forest, "I can't blame her. But I know she still comes to this forest every weekend. A few miles from here. She trains for several hours, with more dedication than what I get from you," she said, pointedly looking at the flustered spirt detective.

"HEY LISTEN GRANDMA, I DIDN'T COME ALL THIS WAY FOR CRITICISM, I CAME TO ASK FOR HELP" he yelled impatiently. "Look, was she any good? Do you think she'd help us?" his eyes became sad, his hope slowly fading with each minute the hag didn't answer. She turned her back to us and simply said, "Perhaps. Why don't you ask her? She's already here."

I turned my head, towards the forest Genkai was looking at. I could sense it, the energy deep within the forest. Before anyone made a move, I quickly ran towards the direction the energy was originating from. And then I saw her, she was balancing herself on her pointer finger, using what could only be her spirit energy. She was small, perhaps even shorter than me. Her (hair color) braid was falling to the ground as her small legs were balanced perfectly in the air. Despite the position, she showed no sign or fatigue. Her strength was immeasurable, and I knew she had to be part of the team in order for us to win. Before I could muster a single word, a strong bright blast headed my direction, and if I didn't move fast, I would surely be dead.

***********

Your POV

You arrived at the usual spot, and immediately began my training. From far off, you could sense that there were several strong energies around Genkai's temple. You figured it was odd, considering she hardly ever had guests, but you figured she was turning away any more apprentices, since you heard she finally found one she deemed worthy.

You began, as usual, trying to balance yourself using you spirit energy, but after a few minutes of holding the position, you sensed a dark energy hiding high up in the trees. You pretended you didn't notice, trying to see what their intentions could be. You could feel whoever it was boring their eyes into your head, and you tried your best to see if you could measure their spirit levels, but to no avail. 'Guess I'll have to test it myself.'

And as quickly as you could, you shot a fairly strong spirit blast at the stranger. If he/she was able to dodge or survive the blast, maybe they'd be worth your time. The explosion from your spirit gun caused a large cloud of dust and dirt to arise, but you could still see your blast bursting through the forest. You smiled to yourself, mildly impressed. You haven't shot one of those in a while. "You fool!" a deep voice yelled at you from above, "Why would you try to attack someone you should consider an ally?"

You looked up at the trees surrounding you, and you were finally able to land your sights on a dark, shadowy figure with piercing red eyes. He jumped down, neatly landing on his feet. He was just a little taller than you, but that wasn't saying much considering you weren't even five feet tall. He glared at you, wearing a black cloak with a white collar, andspiky black hair blowing in the wind.

You pretended to not be impressed with his agility as you said, "I'm surprised you survived that attack, but try anything, and I won't hesitate to kill you," you warned. You pointed your finger at him, a blue light growing around it. You were charging your spirit gun, mostly for show, but to also demonstrate that you meant business. He scoffed at you, giving you a sideways glance, as if to label you as no threat.

You felt your cheeks beginning to warm with frustration, 'Who does this guy think he is?' Your question was immediately answered when a group of guys, looking to be about your age, arrived. "Hiei!" shouted a guy in a green school uniform and slick black hair. He was followed by a red haired boy, with a blue uniform and a face that screamed he got beat up on the daily; and then there was another red head, well actually, his hair could be considered a dark pink, with a pink uniform. If you were being honest, he was probably the prettiest one there, long pink hair with beautiful emerald green eyes; such feminine features, you were both infatuated and jealous. You snapped back to reality, blushing at my stupidity.

'Really Y/N, are you really do delirious that you're getting distracted by a pretty boy? God, if Genkai were here, she'd knock you senseless for being so easily distracted.' "Hiei, what on earth happened here?" asked the pink haired boy. "This woman," the red eyed boy said as he glared at you, "attacked me for no damn reason." All of them stared at you, each face looking on with wonder and caution. Your blush grew across your face, "H-his presence was freaking me out! I- I felt you staring at me!" you accused, trying hard not to stammer.

"Wow, way to go Hiei, freaking the poor girl out like that," the red head said, making you out to be some sort of helpless woman. You glared at him, but just nodded along. You didn't want to cause any more trouble than there was. Then, the boy with the slick black hair cleared his throat, as if to get everyone attention. "Listen," he said, his voice sounded confident, as if he was used to being in charge, "We're looking for a girl, apparently she was one of Genkai's students. Apparently she ran off a few years back, wanting a normal life or whatever the hell, I dunno. Have you heard of her, maybe seen her? She's probably comes off as stand-offish and cold, she must have been, living with that old woman. We need her help, you see. So it's really important you tell us everything you know."

You didn't like the way he talked about you or Genkai, he made you feel like you were some cold-hearted, antisocial, freak. If he's asking for help, him and his annoying red eyed friend better learn some manners before they decide to talk to you again. They all turned to you expectantly, waiting for an answer. All of them except the short, spiky haired boy. You lifted all your belongings off the ground, turned on your heels and merely said, "You're looking at her." And with a stunned silence filling the air, you walked away.

*******

Hiei's POV

"That was her?! She's definitely not what I expected!" the detective said. "Yeah," Kuwabara agreed, "Honestly, I thought she would look kinda mean or something. But she was actually...kinda cute. She reminded me of Yukina." His disgusting voice oozed with love as he said my own sister's name. I winced, trying not to picture the two together. "How on earth does that woman remind you of Yukina?" I demanded, knowing that his answer would be a waste of time either way.

"Well shorty, if you must know, they're both rather petite, and have soft eyes. And she looks like almost like a doll, beautiful but you're afraid you'd break her. Y'know 'cause she's so delicate looking, or something." I rolled my eyes at the idiot, 'Ask a stupid question,' I thought. "How are we going to convince her to join the team?" Kurama asked, always bringing everyone back to the point. "Hn, that woman clearly has no intention to help us. She has too much pride because the detective offended her in his terrible description," Yusuke scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "And clearly, she wants us to beg or apologize to her and I refuse to stoop that low," I said bitterly. 'Who does that woman think she is,' I thought to myself.

"Hiei, we have to get her as out fifth member. Look at the damage she caused," Kurama gestured to the forest, or what was left of it. The shot she blasted managed to shoot through miles of forestry. As usual, Kurama had a point. In order for us to have a even a slight chance to win this tournament, we needed a fighter like her. I looked up at him, silently accepting his point. He gave me a knowing look and continued, now speaking towards the rest of the group, "We need to catch up to her, before we really lose her."

Kurama led the way, his inner demon fox able to track her down quickly, using her scent. She must've sensed us following her, because she had already settled down on the ground, sitting patiently for us on an old stump. 'Why is she glaring at me?' I wondered. I stared at her, giving her an equally distasteful look as I attempted to read her mind using my jagan eye.

"Why is he looking at me like that?" the woman thought. "If he was such a creep, I wouldn't have shot at him. Besides it's not like the blast would've killed him. With the energy that was radiating off of him, it was obvious he could dodge the blast. Hey, creep," she thought, staring at me with a raised eyebrow. My eyes widened, how could she have known I was reading her thoughts. She continued, "Just quit acting like a douche wad and I won't attack you again. Okay?" She gave me a small smile, and for a moment, I thought I could see what the oaf meant about her having soft eyes. I shook the thought out of my head, 'She's a human. Why would I care for such a low class being...'

"Look, I'm sorry about what I said," the spirit detective said, rubbing his arm in awkward embarrassment. It was obvious he wasn't used to apologies. The young woman smiled at him, "Hey it's fine. Your description of me wasn't half bad," she laughed. Her laugh was soft, but genuine...why did I notice that? "So why did you track me down for? You said you needed help?" Her eyebrows furrowed, her eyes filled with concern. 'Why would she be concerned over complete strangers?' I wondered. The detective explained everything that happened after we rescued Yukina. Explaining how we had no choice but to fight in the Dark Tournament and how we needed a strong fifth member. Explaining how Genkai directed us to her. She took it all in, never interrupting. She nodded along, and once Yusuke finished, she sat there in silence for a while. Her elbow laid on one knee, supporting her head.

"So. Toguro." Her fists clenched tightly until her knuckles turned white. She grit her teeth as she said bitterly, "So that bastard is still alive? Of course. Why am I surprised?" She began to mumble to herself, getting lost in her thoughts. "And how do you know him?" I demanded, since clearly she was too self-absorbed to tell is herself. She looked up at me, as if just remembering we were there. She stood up straight, her eyes filled with a fiery anger, "He killed my parents when I was younger..." her eyes looked towards the sky. I could tell she was remembering that day, trying to hold back tears.

"My parents were good friends with Genkai. They were great fighters, and as I'm sure you know by now, Toguro loves a challenge. He forced them to fight him by kidnapping me. And..." I watched silently as a single tear rolled down her cheek. I resisted the urge to wipe that tear away. I didn't even know why I cared, I just didn't want her to cry.

"So join us then," I said, trying to make her forget what happened all those years ago. She looked at me, and nodded her head in agreement, "Sure...Hiei, right?" I was surprised she even remembered my name, I thought humans had low attention spans. I merely grunted, not feeling like wasting any more time on her. But she closed her eyes, tear still entangled in her lashes, and smiled at me, "Well, I'm Y/N." I looked at her as I thought, 'Y/N, I'll be sure to remember that.'


	3. Sparring Partners

A few days later, in the forest a few miles away from Genkai's temple.

Hiei's POV

I was sleeping high up in one of the trees when I sensed someone climbing up the branches, quickly making its way up to me. I kept my eyes shut, but lazily rested one hand on my sword, ready to unsheathe it at any moment.

"Hiei?" a soft voice asked tenderly, "I would like to know if you would train with me. I've noticed your speed and agility since the day we met, and I wanna be as quick as you." I knew the voice well, for some reason, the past couple of days, I've been keeping my eye on her. My jagan eye, to be exact. I've watched how she interacted with people, and despite her obvious desire to be alone most of the time, she's kind and friendly. She was rather intelligent for a human, and I couldn't help but be amused by her.

I opened one eye, peeking at her face. She was on the same branch, her hand on my knee to keep her balance. Her face had a mix of worry and determination. I could see it it in her (eye color) eyes, she wasn't going to take no for an answer. I merely gave her an exasperated sigh, which she knew meant I conceded. She gave me a huge smile, and a small, thankful peck on the cheek.

"You're the best, Hiei! I promise I won't let you down!" And then she jumped off the branch, landing on her feet when she hit the ground. I touched the cheek where she had kissed me and felt my face heat up. 'What the hell is this?' I couldn't help but wonder what this woman was doing to me.

*********

Your POV

Training with Hiei has been absolute hell. What were you thinking. You slowly trudged your way back to Genkai's temple, your temporary home again until the day of the tournament, with 100 lbs weights shackled to your ankles.

"It will make you much faster once they're off," Hiei said with confidence. You knew he was right, but god, he was just as bad as Genkai.

Like this morning: "Poor!" Hiei shouted down at you as you tried to climb the trees with the weights bringing you down. You were barely able to keep up with him. "You're too slow! You have to push harder woman, or else you'll be killed!" He would yell at you. And training one on one with him in battle was just as bad. He was so fast, you barely had time to block his attacks.

"Woman! Do you want to survive?! Attack! Quicker! Block! Faster!" He was so demanding, and he never gave you a day of rest. But despite all your complaints, you could tell you've improved greatly over the past few weeks. You've become stronger, and definitely faster. You're able to channel your spirit energy quicker and form weapons in mere seconds. Hiei was impressed with your swordsmanship, and you couldn't help but smile at that. His compliments were rare, but they meant a lot to you. You replayed some of your favorites in your head.

"Perfect stance," he nodded in approval. Walking around you slowly. You couldn't help but notice his shirtless form. Despite his small size, he was rather muscular. You blushed at the thought, but continued to focus on your stance. "Good defense. Your swordsmanship is almost as good as my own. I am impressed, Y/N." That one made you smile the hardest. He hardly ever called you by your real name. And hearing him say it made your heart skip a beat.

'Wait,' you paused, 'why do I care about what he has to say? Since when did I start...?' You gasped at the sudden realization you had, 'No. There's no way I could possibly have feelings for that demon! He's so arrogant and rude. So what if you noticed how nice he looked shirtless? That doesn't mean you liked him! It had to just be all the time we were spending together. It's just getting to my head....yeah that's it. It had to be!' You took off the weights and laid still on your bed, trying to ignore how hard your heart was beating when you thought about Hiei.

********

Hiei's POV

The day of the tournament had finally arrived, we were all waiting for the woman and the detective to meet us at the docks.

"Gee, I wonder where they are. They better not have ditched us last minute!" the fool spat bitterly. "Of course they wouldn't. This means too much to them," Kurama said in a soothing tone. Just as he said this, the stench of lower demons cleared, and nothing but the scent of vanilla filled my nostrils. I'd know that scent from anywhere.

"Calm down fool," I uttered in a low voice, "the woman is here, and I believe that is the detective with her." I spotted the woman happily chatting with Yusuke, as if they didn't have an important tournament to attend to. I scoffed at them and rolled my eyes. Humans have the attention span of a gnat. "Hey guys," the woman said cheerfully. "Ready to kick some ass?" "Hell yeah!" Kuwabara shouted.

Finally the boat had arrived, and as soon as we stopped on, Yusuke passes out, with none of us able to wake him. Kuwabara tries his best to shake him awake him, but to no avail. I saw no issue with it as long as he woke up in time for his fight. And even if he didn't, I could easily replace him. When we arrive at the hotel, we all go our separate ways; agreeing we all needed our rest for our first battle tomorrow. 


	4. Burning Desire

The next day, the tournament begins and we start with a wonderful loss to a mere child, thanks to that fool Kuwabara. How he continuously manages to embarrass himself never ceases to amaze me. Kurama's battle took longer than I had anticipated. The demon actually landed a few hits on Kurama, clearly he was using cheap tactics. I scrunched my nose at the thought, 'How tasteless, resorting to cheating to win.' Next, it was the woman's turn.

*******

Your POV

You watched as Kurama made his way off the arena. "Wow Kurama, you really did a number on the guy!" He smiles at you and wishes you luck as you jump onto the stage. Across from you was a hippie looking demon, with rounded glasses, long brown hair, and purple tinted skin.

"Hey there doll face," he winks at you. "How's about we grab a few drinks, that is, if I decide to let you live." Your face twists with absolute disgust, "Call me doll face one more time, and that'll be the last thing you'll ever say." Your heart was beating loudly in your chest, the adrenaline was rushing all throughout your body. This was what you were training for.

"AND BEGIN!" cried the announcer. And without a second thought, you summon a sword from ground and charge your way towards your opponent with unbelievable speed. Your blood pumping hard in your veins. You're about to slash through his heart when you start to feel dizzy and lose him in a strange fog. Your senses have become dull, and it feels like an out of body experience. You search for him, seeing double of everything.

"Like my trick?" the demon laughed, "This mist is able to dull your senses, and weaken your spirit energy!" He cackled, "Tell me how it feels!" He was right, you couldn't tell which one of the demons you saw was really him. You had to do something quick before all your energy was drained. You quickly summoned several throwing knives, but just as they were made, you lost him in the mist again. 'Focus, Y/N. Your energy may be gone. But your awareness hasn't completely disappeared yet. Focus,' you think hard to yourself.

Staying still and quiet, you are able to just barely sense your opponent's demon energy. 'I hope this works,' you think as you throw as many knives in that direction you can. You hear some screaming and then a loud thud as the fog cleared. Your strength returns almost immediately, and you look in the direction where your knives went. A pool of blood had spread across the arena, the demon laying face down. You return to your team where everyone congratulates you, even Hiei gave you a small smile.

******

Hiei's POV

I listened carefully as Y/N's battle ensued, since I had no other choice bc that foolish demon decided to hide in some sort of fog. Calling her doll face, as if she would actually waste time with a low class demon like him. I wasn't surprised the woman was able to win that battle, she's trained hard for this. Only fools need eyes to see. She smiled at me once the fight was over, and I couldn't help but give her a meager one in return. Like I said, she trained hard, that's all.

Then, a demon by the name of Zeru, who I assumed was the team leader stepped into the arena. He had already given us a taste of his power, spreading an enormous flame across the entire arena and a few hundred members of the audience before the battles even began. I already claimed him as my opponent. I easily stepped onto the stage, and exchanged a few words with him. "You have your flaws, Zeru. Your flames are weak, and sloppily used. I've seen infant demons with better control of their abilities."

"Like you're so perfect. I don't like to take advice from someone who likes to use a fake eye." I glared at him, he was going to pay. "Oh and Hiei, what is that delicious human's name again? Y/N? Once this battle is over, and I've disintegrated you, I'll take her as payment for your team killing two members of mine. She'll make for a beautiful slave, don't you think?"

I felt my anger bubbling to the surface. He shouldn't dare to have uttered her name, and then speak of her in such a way. My hand started to itch, begging me to draw my sword so I can cut off his head. Perhaps give it as a gift to the woman, once she hears about his intentions. "Oh, what's the matter Hiei?" Zeru stared at me, then his eyes opened wide, as if he just realized something. "You have a desire for her, too! Don't you Hiei?!" I felt my face burn, but I didn't answer. I didn't know how to answer. I unsheathed my sword and prepared to attack when ready. "Well then, this should be interesting," Zeru snickered. "And YOU MAY BEGIN," shouted the announcer.

*******

Your POV

You watched as Hiei got into position, placing his hand on his sword, ready to draw. He was glaring at Zeru, as if he were taking the battle personally. His anger was almost tangible, and you began to wonder what had gotten into him. You stood next to the fox demon, and in a low voice you asked, "Does it seem like Hiei is...fighting angry to you?" You watched as he jumpEd high into the sky, dodging each one of Zeru's fire blasts. His eyebrows furrowed, and he bared what could only be described as...fangs?

"It appears that Zeru has brought dishonor to your name, and Hiei didn't take too kindly to it," Kurama murmured. You stared at him, your brows raised in confusion. Kurama turned to you, smiling as he explained, "Hiei would never admit it, but he is rather protective of his friends. Especially the ones he admires" Kurama gave you an intense look as he spoke the last sentence, you couldn't help but blush. 'Why is he looking at me like that?' you wonder, turning away from Kurama's gaze. 'Hiei is hardly the caring type. He always makes me fend for myself.' You return your focus to the battle, just in time to see Zeru sear his hand through Hiei's chest.

You heart started to beat rapidly, "HIEI!" you scream, tears streaming down your face. You quickly glance at Zeru, as he pulls back a fist and blasts a huge fire ball, burning Hie's body. Your knees start to buckle, and you quickly grab on to Kurama for support. 'This can't be happening. No way. Hiei would never lose, especially not the first battle.' You hear the fire continue to crackle as it roasts what was left of your sparring partner. You couldn't bare to look at him.


	5. The Dragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is a bit short, but it's got fluff! Enjoy! :D

"Well when you're as talented as Zeru," the announcer claimed, "always expect one heck of a fight!" You set your eyes on Zeru, silently promising to avenge Hiei, whatever the cost. But before you could even step on the stage you hear a familiar voice, with sarcasm dripping with every syllable.

"Yes," the voice drawled, "In fact, he's so talented, I'm reluctant to make the kill." You eyes quickly return to where Hiei's body once laid. Yet there he was, standing in front of you, his body still smoldering. His shirt was nearly burnt off, but what scared you the most was the dark look in his eyes. He didn't seem right, something was about to happen. You watched Zeru's expression change from one of complete confidence, to one of utter fear. "Bu-but how did you manage to survive that?" he demanded.

Hiei merely smirked at him, and allowed his Jagan eye to disintegrate his white headband. "I think we already covered that. You see, in way the Jagan eye has a mind of its own, and it loathes disrespect." You watched in terror as you felt a sudden rush of power radiate from Hiei. You looked around, eyes widened with fear as you waited for what could only be Hiei's biggest attack. "DRAGON. OF. THE DARKNESS FLAME," you heard Hiei announce.

"No, this is unbelievable," Kurama whispered, too stunned to explain further. "Dragon of the who?" Kuwabara asked, speaking your thoughts aloud.

"The technique. It hasn't been mastered by anyone because it's so impossible to control. If not used properly, Hiei could end up killing not only himself, but the entire stadium," Kurama answered softly. You felt the sweat drip down the back of your neck, hoping Hiei had what it took to keep his new attack stabilized. Hiei had what looked like a dark ball glowing in his hand, moving so furiously and chaotically, you were afraid he'd accidentally let it loose amongst the crowd.

"I assume my right arm would do," was all you managed to hear him say before he released a dark, fiery dragon that had originated from the ball. It's piercing screech increasing as it landed right on Zeru, leaving nothing but his outline on the walls of the arena. The announcer blinked her eyes in disbelief before she managed to regain her focus.

"And HIEI TAKES THE POINT!" she cheered while Hiei stared at his burnt arm that had released the dragon, looking unimpressed. You watched as he walked over to you, wincing in pain when he quickly shoved his burnt arm as deep as he could into his pocket. You could tell he was trying to play it off, but you weren't about to have any of that. With one hand on your hip, you stuck the other out towards him expectantly.

He raised one brow at you, his lips frowning in confusion. "What is it, woman? I don't have anything for you," he said impatiently, trying to avoid you by walking around. You quickly grab him by the shoulder, and pull out the arm that was harmed. "Hiei," you gently say, "please, let me heal your wounds." He didn't say anything at first. Then plopping himself down on the ground, eyes looking straight forward, he stuck his hurt arm out towards you. You took it as your cue, sitting beside him and gingerly taking his hand in yours.

Slowly, you release bits of your spirit energy, making your way from his fingertips to his knuckles. You notice how much energy it was taking you just to heal that much, and deciding it would be best to heal him little by little. Perhaps start again tomorrow when your energy had returned. You looked down at his hand, wrapping your fingers with his.

Although he was only a little taller than you, his hands were much bigger in comparison. You observed the work you had accomplished, noticing how his fingers were back to normal, but the rest of his arm was still badly burnt. But with your energy being so low, you decided it would have to do.

"What are you doing woman?" Hiei demanded, staring at your fingers which were still intertwined with his. "Ah!" you squeaked, a blush creeping on your face as your tried to think of an excuse. "I just...had to...see if your fingers were um...okay. I'm glad you can still feel! That's all!" you stammered out. He didn't answer you, raising an eyebrow, clearly not buying what you just said. You sighed, slowly getting up and walking to where Kurama stood as he watched Yusuke's match. "Anything to get away from that embarrassment," you say to no one in particular.


	6. The Gift

Kurama's POV

Hiei had done rather well in his match, but I could tell he had no intention to use the Dragon of the Darkness Flame. He had no choice but to use drastic measures, and it cost him dearly. I watched as he tried to hide the pain in his arm, trying to appear as he always was, cool and confident. He made a clear path towards Y/N, and despite what she had seen, she welcomed him with open arms. She wasn't afraid of Hiei, as most human are. In fact, based on the look of concern on her face, it would seem that she deeply cared for him.

"Please, let me heal your wounds," I heard her whisper tenderly. I peered at them from my peripheral vision, watching to see what Hiei would do. As expected, he stubbornly surrendered his arm to her, allowing her to tend to his pain. Hiei would never admit it, but he truly cared for Y/N. All the time they spent together, it was clear that he connected with her.

He was gentle with her, or as gentle as Hiei could be. I knew he watched over her using his Jagan eye. I was able to hear his exchange with Zeru, my demon fox ears were able to pick up on every word of the conversation. He was unable to answer when Zeru asked how Hiei felt for Y/N. That was enough to confirm my suspicions. Hiei may have fallen for a being he claims to detest the most, a human; but he would never confess to that openly, especially not to Y/N, not until he was ready.

*********

Your POV

"And the winner of this battle and moving on to the next round is TEAM URAMESHI!" the announcer exclaimed. You gave a sigh of relief as your team headed back to the hotel.

"Once I get my energy back, I'll gladly tend to anyone's wounds," you announce to the team. Yusuke and Kurama gave you grateful smiles, but Kuwabara only huffed at you. "Yukina is the only one I trust to fix my boo boos!" he proclaimed loyally. You laughed, respecting Kuwabara's wishes.

When you finally reach the hotel, you wish everyone a good night, and excuse yourself to your room. When you unlock the door, you spot something laying on your bed. It's a beautifully wrapped box with a note, "Good luck tomorrow," you read aloud. You shake the box a little, trying to guess what was inside. Giving up, you rip off the wrapping paper and find its a little brown teddy bear.

"Oh how cute!" you gush, flipping it around, the bear had a tag on its ear "Press my belly!" it read. You happily comply, but when you do nothing happens. The bear starts ticking, but nothing more. 'Ticking like a clock,' you think to yourself, "or a bomb," you laugh. "AH. WAIT!" your eyes open wide, and you run towards the door, but it was too late.

The bear explodes, sending stuffing flying everywhere. Your entire room is destroyed, and before you blacked out, all you could remember was your door flying open a dark figure picking you up.


	7. Safe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So of course this isn't the last chapter, but I needed something reassurance. If you guys really wanna read more, please comment and let me know! The next chapter will be a lemon, but I'm starting to lose the desire to keep going. I posted this story another website as practice, and I'm not sure how people are taking it :/ please let me know!

Hiei's POV

"I'm starving," whined the spirit detective, rubbing his stomach eagerly. "Where can a guy get some decent grub?" He started walking around the hotel lobby, searching for food. "Of course you're hungry!" Kuwabara roles his eyes at Yusuke. "You've been sleeping for almost an entire day!"

I was too tired to deal with their shenanigans, the Darkness technique used up all of my energy. And since Y/N wasn't able to heal me fully, I desperately needed some time to rest. "Babysit these fools, Kurama. I'm going back to my room." He nodded in agreement as I walked towards the elevator.

"So, did the human open the box yet?" I heard a gravelly voice mumble. "Not yet boss, trust me when I say we would have known by now," rumbled another voice. I looked up and saw two large, scaly demons, huddled together in front of the second elevator. "Yes, good. When the human opens the box, the gift will explode, putting that damned Urameshi team in quite the predicament."

My eyes widened, 'Which human were they discussing?' I rushed over to one of the big lizards and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "WHICH HUMAN ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" I demanded. The second demon tried to attack me, but I had already pulled out my sword and aimed it at his throat.

"Take one more step, and I'll gladly kill you where you stand," I warned. My gaze turned back to the demon in my hands. "Now, tell me which human, or I swear you will be the next victim to my Dragon," I threatened, nodding my head towards my right arm. The demon that I had gripped in my hand stared at me with awe.

"Y-you're Hiei!" he whispered in fear. "Yes, so glad you recognize me. Now TELL ME WHICH HUMAN." I could feel my blood pulsing through my veins, hoping it wasn't the woman who was in trouble. "Th-the human girl on your team!" he blubbered. I let me arm fall, watching him crawl backwards, away from me.

"If she's harmed, I will have both your heads. Now, leave and never come near my team again," I glared as I ran to the stairs, knowing the elevator would take too long.

I had just kicked down her door when the bomb went off. She was just a few feet away from me when I grabbed her, and ran out the door before the explosion's damage could get any worse. I looked down at her, her eyes were closed, and her body was still.

For a moment, I felt my blood run cold, thinking that she was dead. But then, I saw her chest rise slowly as she started breathing. I sighed, glad she was still alive. I carried her to my room, and rested her on my bed. I heard a loud knock on my door, and opened it to find the fox, the fool, and the detective, who had food smeared on his face and a chicken leg still in his hand. I wrinkled my nose in disgust, this human is absolutely revolting.

"Hiei! Are you okay? We heard an explosion. It came from Y/N's room but we couldn't find her anywhere!" Yusuke shouted, food spewing out of his mouth with each word. I winced, but cooly replied, "She's safe. I rescued her just in time. She's here, resting." I open the door slightly, allowing them to peer in to see that I was telling the truth.

"Well, thank goodness you got there when you did," Kurama said. "Let me take a look at her and see if I could make her something to ease her pain." He pushed his was through the door, ignoring the pointed look I gave him. I didn't want him near her, for some reason, I wanted her to not be bothered by anyone else. "Well as you can see she's fine, now everyone leave," I said impatiently to the other two, not wanting any more guests than I already had. They tried to argue, but I slammed the door on their faces.

"You know, you could just tell them how you really feel," Kurama said in a knowing voice. I could feel my anger bubbling, I hated when he acted like he knew everything. I glared at him, my eyes watching his every move as he examined Y/N. When he pulled her shirt up a little to see if she got hurt near her vitals, I let out a low growl.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I angrily replied. He gave me a long stare, looking at me as if he knew I was lying. I sat beside the woman on the bed. Her body was still, but her eyes squeezed shut, unable to escape her pain even in her sleep. Sweat dripped down her forehead, and I instinctively wiped them away, feeling Kurama's watching me as I did.

I looked up at him and he whispered so as not to wake the human, "I can see you care for her, Hiei. You're rather protective of her. Don't deny it, because you'll only be lying to yourself." I winced, wondering if what he said was true. I looked to the woman, wondering if I did care for her. "Perhaps," Kurama continued, a knowing smile crossing his face, "you may even love her." I paused, unsure how to respond. It was true that this woman made me...feel emotions I haven't felt before. Perhaps it was true that I was willing to protect her with my life. Perhaps it was true that I cared for her more than I had almost anyone else in my life. But that didn't mean I loved her, not a human.

For a while, we sat there in silence. I began to hear a soft pitter patter on the window, that slowly grew louder; a storm was coming. Kurama gave the woman a plant that would be able to heal any of her major wounds, and I watched her carefully, observing to see when the plant you take into affect.

Eventually, her breathing became more even, and her face eased. Her (hair color) framed her face, giving her an almost angelic look. I had never seen her with her hair down, she felt it often got in the way when we were sparring. Seeing it now, I could hardly keeps my eyes off her. I turned away, trying to hide the smile that was creeping on my face from the fox demon.

"Where will she stay, what with her room being destroyed?" Kurama asked. "I don't think it would be wise to move her," I responded, not meeting his eyes. "She could stay here, I'll sleep out---." A loud clap of thunder reminded me that sleeping outside would not be an option for me tonight. I sighed, "I'll just sleep on the floor or something. I don't care." Kurama nodded, and without another word made his way to the door.

But before walking through, he gave me a sly wink and said, "if your decide to share the bed, I promise not to tell anyone." Then he slipped out, my sword making contact with the door in the spot Kurama had stood. I cursed silently to myself and walked back to the bed.

"Tch, I save your life and this is how you thank me? Stealing my bed and hogging it all to yourself?" I quietly ask her. As I grab an extra pillow that she wasn't using, I heard her mumble something in her sleep. I paused, waiting to see if I could make out what she was saying. I felt my face flush as I heard her mumble softly, "Hiei," smiling to herself.


	8. Just Glad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the reason why I labeled this content as mature. *LEMON WARNING*

Your POV

You opened your eyes, and found yourself in a dark room, on a bed that wasn't familiar to you. You looked around, beginning to panic as you tried to recall what had happened. You remembered the bear, an explosion, and a dark figure grabbing you before the bomb's explosive waves killed you.

"I thought you'd never wake up," said a dark voice coming from across the room. You searched for the source of the voice, and your (eye color) eyes were met with blood red ones. You gasped, "Hiei? Is that you?" He walked towards you, placing himself on the edge of the bed. "I thought we were going to lose you," he whispered softly.

You looked at him, and saw that there was a sincere look of worry painted on his face. You reached out, and touched his cheek. You thought he would push your hand away, but surprisingly, he took your hand and nuzzled it closer to his face. "Y/N, I'm so glad you're okay," he admitted. You didn't know how to respond, Hiei was never one to share his feelings with anyone, especially not you.

You blushed, "Well, it's all thanks to you," was all you managed to say. Hiei released your hand, and reached over to touch your cheek. He tenderly pushed a few stray hairs away from your face, and he leaned towards you like he was gonna...WAIT.

"H-Hiei?" you ventured to ask, "are you....okay?" He continued to lean forward, and just when his lips were just a few inches from yours, he mumbled lowly, "I'm just glad you're alive."

And with that, he closed the space between your lips. You closed your eyes, happily surrendering to his kiss. You wrapped your arms around the back of his neck, pulling him closer to you on the bed. His fingers were entangled in your hair, gently pulling and tugging. He broke away from you, and started making his way down your neck.

You let a moan escaped your mouth, blushing as he kissed your favorite spots. He grabbed one of your breasts, massaging it as he kissed you on your collar bone. You felt your knees getting weak, but you couldn't take the idea of letting him be in charge. You gently pushed him off you, and tugged at his cloak.

He snickered, seeing you so impatient was arousing him. You tore off his cloak, and admired his bare chest. Pushing him on the bed, you climbed on top of him and started to retaliate. As you kissed his neck, you allowed your hands to wander around his body, exploring parts of him that you had never seen. Your hand landed on his inner thigh, and you pulled your lips away from his neck. Your eyes widened as your hand felt his hard cock that was shielded beneath his pants. You gave Hiei a wicked smile, unbuckling his belt and working away at his pants.

You left him in his boxers and climbed back on top of his lap and slowly rocked your hips. Hiei bit his bottom lip as he tried to suppress a moan, throwing his head back in pleasure. You smirked, feeling better being the one in control. You were just starting to get a rhythm going, happily teasing him, when Hiei's eyelids flew open. The once gentle look in his eyes gone, replaced with a look of pure want and desire. He hurriedly wrapped his arms around your waist and flipped you over. You laid in the bed, surprised and pleased to witness the sudden change in him.

"That's enough," he mumbled, quickly taking your lips in his. His tongue forcing its way into your mouth, and you gladly welcomed it. He tore away at what was left of your clothing, never once breaking away from your kiss. He made his way down your neck, till he got to your soft breasts. He cupped them both in his hands, massaging them, using his thumbs to play with your nipples. You moaned, begging him to stop teasing you.

He grinned, looking all too pleased with himself. "I'm just returning the favor," he whispered lowly. He put his warm mouth on your left breast while continuing to massage the other one in his hand. "Hiei," you moaned, as his hot tongue flicked your nipple. "Please, Hiei," you begged, "give it to me." Hiei pulled his mouth away from your breast, and looked at you until you met his gaze. His eyes looked like they were pleading, making sure that that's what you truly wanted. You felt yourself blushing as you nodded, showing him you understood and that he had your permission.

He gave you a grin as he pulled off his boxers. You laid on your back as you watched in amazement, you never expected to see Hiei like this. He kneeled in front of you on the bed, slowly inserting his hard cock. He began to thrust slowly, your wetness allowing him to move easily. He threw his head back, shutting his eyes as he moaned. He began to move faster, going harder with each thrust. He grabbed your hips and pulled you closer to him, allowing him to be even deeper inside you. You felt like you were dreaming, moaning his name in pure ecstasy.

"Hiei..." you moaned. Your voice becoming louder, "Hiei!" He pulled you onto his lap, and picked you up with ease. He walked over to the nearest wall and propped you up against it. With his hands wrapped around the back of your thighs, he started thrusting into you. He pushed harder, slamming into you as you continued screaming his name. You felt your back rubbing hard against the wall, but you couldn't bring yourself to care.

"Shit, Y/N. I'm so fucking close," he mumbled. "Y/N....Y/N..." His voice sounded like it was drifting farther and farther away. You felt the whole room shaking, and you looked around on fear.

'What the hell is going on?' You shut your eyes, afraid of what may happen next. But when you opened them up again, everything was different. You were in Hiei's room, but now you were fully clothed in his bed.


	9. Just a Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally finished with this chapter! I hope you all enjoy :)

You looked around, the room was dark but you were able to make out Hiei standing by the bed.

"Good, you're awake," he said in a strained voice, his eyes shifting away from you. "I've been trying to shake you awake for the past few minutes." You blinked, trying to understand what had happened. 'It couldn't have been a dream...It all felt so real. God, what the hell happened?'

"Oh...what did you need?" you asked as you tried to avoid looking directly at him.

"Nothing, you were just...talking in your sleep," he mumbled, an awkward silence hanging in the air. You blushed, realizing he might have heard something he shouldn't have. Your mind started to panic, 'This can't be happening to me...'

"Oh," you finally managed to say. "What did I say...?" you replied cooly, trying to hide the dread in your voice. For a while, Hiei didn't answer, which only made you worry more.

After what felt like an eternity he said, "Nothing. I just heard my name and got curious. That's all." And with that, he grabbed a pillow that was laying beside you, an extra blanket that you kicked to the end of the bed, and walked to the opposite side of the room. He plopped the pillow down on the floor and laid himself down with his back to you. You could tell that Hiei was hiding something from you; the atmosphere in the room felt tenser than it should have if he only heard you say his name.

You sighed, dropping back down into the soft pillows. You stared at the ceiling, refusing to fall back asleep in fear of what else your dreams might conjure up.

**********

Hiei's POV

I felt my face flush as I heard her mumble softly, "Hiei," smiling to herself. 'What the hell is she dreaming about?' I wondered. She gave a soft moan and mumbled something about a test? 'No, she said tease. Tease? Am I making fun of her?' I shrugged, trying to walk away and let her rest. But my legs wouldn't budge, my eyes staring down at her sleeping form.

I reached out, instinctively caressing her cheek. I wasn't sure why that urge came over me, perhaps the wound I suffered from my Darkness technique was getting to me. I was pushing a few stray hairs away from her face when she shifted. I froze, if the woman caught me touching her like this, should would have my head. I pulled away quickly, but she remained asleep.

"Hiei," she said, louder this time. "Oh fuck it," I whispered to no one in particular. I took off my headband, and focused my energy into using my Jagan eye. 'I'll just take a look into her dreams really quick, and then I'll go. I have the right to know if she's dreaming about me,' I reasoned. The picture in my head was a little foggy, but it slowly cleared up. She was dreaming about me, but not in any way that I had expected. I was kissing her passionately, removing clothes with our lips locked. I was touching her naked body, and...

My eyes flew open, the image slowly disappearing. 'The woman was dreaming of us mating...' My throat became dry and my hands felt clammy. 'Why would she dream of such a situation?' I gulped. I placed my hand on her shoulder, wanting to know why she was dreaming of me in that way. I shook her gently, I needed to know what she thought of me.

Kurama's voice came blaring in the back of my head, "Perhaps you may even love her..." I shook her harder, I needed to know what was going on in that woman's head. Her eyes fluttered open, looking bewildered. I felt my blood pulsing through my veins, 'Ask her now!' I thought.

But I couldn't bring myself to do it. She even asked me what she said in her sleep, and I told her the truth. She merely said my name and nothing more. I couldn't tell her I used my Jagan eye to read her mind so I could see what she was dreaming about. She would be furious that I couldn't respect her privacy. But I could tell by the look in her eyes and the silence that hung in the air that she knew I knew more than I was letting on.

As I laid on the floor, my back turned away from her, I wondered if...perhaps...Kurama was right. I closed my eyes, allowing my mind to wander until I fell asleep, knowing I'll have no choice but to face her in the morning.


	10. Betrayl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This wasn't supposed to be published for another few days but I've been writing so much that I couldn't wait! Enjoy! :)

Your POV

You had taken a few major blows after your battle with Dr. Ichigaki's team and you were in no shape to fight. The next match had come sooner that you expected, but with so little spirit energy left, you doubt you would be able to help your team. Yusuke turned to you with gratitude in his eyes.

"You really are something," he murmured. "Thanks for saving those guys. I didn't know Grandma taught you the spirit wave. You really saved our skins back there, I can't believe you took all those hits just to save me and Kuwabara." You gave him a small smile, trying to ignore the absolute agony you were in.

"It's nothing," you breezily replied, "It's nothing like Genkai's. If her spirit wave were to be considered the Sun, I'd be lucky if mine were to be seen as the Moon. My spirit wave is barely a spin off of her's. The point is that it did the trick, but now I'm basically powerless." You frowned, staring down at your balled up fists. You could feel tears forming in your eyes, frustrated that everyone was out to get your team.

Yusuke reached out and lightly touched your shoulder, "Hey, don't sweat it. Now that Kurama and shrimpy are finally here, I'm sure we stand a chance against the next team!" The smile he gave you was so genuine and radiated off so much confidence, it was hard for you not to believe him. Kurama walked over to the two of you, his eyebrows furrowed with concern.

"Actually, it looks like we're down to just you and me, Yusuke." He looked over at Hiei, who was standing by himself a few feet away. Lowering his voice as he said, "Hiei is badly injured. His arm still hasn't had enough time to heal properly, despite Y/N's efforts to help him."

"Oh man," whined Yusuke, "this could be bad. Kuwabara is knocked out cold, Hiei's arm is still crispy, and Y/N has zero spirit energy and broke a few bones. This is just great."

"Calm down, Yusuke. Let me handle the next team. I'll fight each member until I am no longer able. That should give you plenty of time to recover your strength, allowing you to take over when I'm finished."

"Hey, good idea Kurama," he smiled, happily accepting the fox demon's plan. You looked over at Hiei, staring hard at him as you tried to force him to make eye contact with you. "Before the next match, we will conduct an exam to ensure that the teams are fit to fight in battle," announced an official over the speakers. You turned towards the main entrance where a gate was sliding open. Walking towards you was a beautiful, red- headed nurse, who could've made a better career as a model. You winced, feeling threatened by her beauty.

Out of instinct, you looked at Hiei again, watching to see how he would react. His face remained unchanged, actually, it looked like he was disgusted by the attractive nurse. You let out a small sigh of relief, you were unsure why that made you feel better, but it did.

"Hello boys," the nurse said to the team in seductive voice. She looked over at you and smiled, "and girl," she hurriedly mumbled. You felt your ego shattering, and despite your injuries, you were prepared to knock that woman senseless.

"I'm here to make sure you're all healthy," she continued. She lifted her hand and allowed it to hover in front of each member's chest. "Mmmmm, you," her hand stopping at Hiei, "and you," she said, her hand hovering near your chest. "Both of you, come with me to the nurse's tent. You are unfit to fight and need some aid."

Hiei scoffed at her, "I don't go where people tell me to, woman. And honestly, I don't care what you think. I'm going to fight the next round." You stared at Hiei, feeling both pleased with the fact that he clearly had no interest in the nurse, but you also felt annoyed with his childish behavior.

You sighed, "Hiei, you are injured. You can't use your dominant hand to wield your sword. How could you fight?" He glared at you, and you angrily stared back. "Fine. I'll go," he replied bitterly, "but as soon as she's done with the examination, I'm going into the ring." You accepted his response, 'At least he's getting his wounds checked,' you thought. You both walked into the tent, and as soon as you did, you felt a strange sensation run through you. You turned back around, and found that you were surrounded by some sort of force field.

"Hey! What's the big idea, lady?" demanded the detective. The nurse's outfit began to rip away, leaving her body covered in vines. She gave a wicked laugh as she answered, "I'm an enchantress! My name is Ruka and there's no way for your teammates to escape my barrier once they're inside!" You heard Yusuke let loose a wind of curses at the woman, but you readily accept that you were trapped. "It's not that big of a deal, Yusuke," you say, trying to be heard above his yelling. "Me and Hiei wouldn't have been much help with the shape we're in. In a way, this chick is kinda doing us a favor," you shrug, walking over to an empty seat in the tent. Before long, everyone settles down and you watch as the battle begins.

You carefully watch Kurama's match, eyeing every move he made. You imagine how you would counter the opponent and picture yourself in Kurama's position. As you try to predict different scenarios, you feel a pair of eyes watching you. You look up and are able to catch Hiei's stare before he looked away. "If you got something to say, say it," you mumbled.

For a while, there was a tense silence. You could sense how uneasy Hiei felt, and you weren't sure if it was because of you, or what you said, or if it was because of how physically close you felt to him in the small barrier. Your mind began to wander as you listed all the things that could be wrong.

Then Hiei cleared his throat and said, "I...wanted to ask about your dream last night..." Your eyes widened, your heart was racing, and your hands became clammy.

"Wh-why do you wanna know all of a sudden?" you stammered. He glanced at you, peering from the side. That was when you realized...he somehow knew what you had dreamt about. 'But how could he...? I'm sure I didn't say too much in my sleep...? He's not a mind reader or anyth---' you let out an indignant scream. "YOU- YOU READ MY MIND? YOU USED THAT STUPID FUCKING THIRD EYE TO LOOK INTO MY DREAM?" you yelled, feeling both embarrassed and infuriated.

Hiei's eyes widened, "I didn't expect you to figure it out so quickly," was all he managed to say. You could feel your fingers twitching, begging to be wrapped around his stupid little throat.

You held back the urge as you whispered in a threateningly low voice, "Hiei, I swear to god if you ever do that again, I will kill you." And then you turned away, unable to look at him any longer.

"How could you?" you demand, back still facing him. "How could you just...that was my...I can't believe you would just..." But you didn't know how to continue. You weren't sure he would understand what he did wrong and you could barely explain it yourself.

All you knew was that it was an invasion of your privacy, and it wasn't something your mind could control. 'I can't believe him. I never would've thought he would stoop so low. I can't believe...' But your thoughts were put to a screeching halt as you felt a soft pair of lips being crushed hard against yours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm not sure if you're still interested, but I finished the next chapter and I'm not sure if I should post yet. I would really appreciate some feedback. I wanna know what you guys think so far. It's my first story so, I'm pretty nervous 


	11. The Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So no one said anything. :c but I'll keep posting because I'm excited to keep going.

Hiei's POV

I watched as her face contorted in confusion. Her eyes were welling up with tears, and I could feel her losing faith in me. I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the strange pang in my chest. I didn't know why I felt so guilty, I merely did it to understand her. It's not like I promised to never read her mind again. I had the right to know, she's the one who said my name.

I knew reasoning with myself was a hopeless cause. I understood that in her way, I had betrayed her trust. And in any case, demon or human, betraying someone's trust was an unforgivable act. My eyes snapped open when I heard a small sniffle coming from the other side of the tent. The woman wasn't shedding any tears, but her frustration and confusion came off of her in waves. The pang in my chest became stronger, so I decided to walk over to her and explain. I kept my steps silent, in case she heard me and told me to stay away.

I had to explain to her why I decided to look into her dreams, but if it truly upset her, I would never do anything like that again. I reached out from behind her, my hand hovering her shoulder. But I couldn't do it. I couldn't bring myself to touch her. I let my hand dropped back to my side, and I took a few steps back. I could feel my blood racing, and I didn't know why.

'Why is it whenever I'm near her...I can't say the things that need to be said? Why does my blood race whenever I'm about to tell her how I feel. What if...?' And Kurama's words came running back to me again.

"Love," I whispered to myself. And before I knew what I was doing, I was in front of her. She hadn't noticed my arrival yet, and I quickly pulled her face close to mine and pressed my lips to hers. She froze in surprise, slowly processing what had happened. I kissed her harder, forcing my tongue past her soft lips. She moaned softly and ran her fingers through my hair. She kissed me back passionately, her lips hungering for more. She stood up from the chair she sat in, pushing me against the barrier. I felt a surge of power rush through me when my back made contact with it. Our lips broke apart as I gasped in surprise.

"Are you okay?" Y/N asked in a worried voice. I nodded, feeling the rush course through my body. A strong pulsing feeling ran in my scarred arm. I stared at it, and was surprised to see it felt better than it had all day. I turned towards the barrier, and forced my whole body against it. I could feel my spirit energy fortifying, a smile of satisfaction crossing my lips. 'The witch nurse may have helped me more than she expected.' I continued to push against the barrier, then I felt a hand gently touch my shoulder. I looked over and saw the woman staring at me with concern.

"Hiei? What are you--?" Then her face relaxed with understanding. Her eyes looked closely at my arm and nodded in approval. She pushed her body against the barrier beside me. 'Hm,' I thought, 'I didn't expect her to get it so soon.' I smiled at her; she was truly remarkable. A worthy member of this team.


	12. The Stress

Your POV

You could still feel Hiei's lips pressed against yours even when he had broken away. You stood back, your mind going numb as you stared blankly at him. 'I can't believe he ki-kissed....' but you could barely finish the thought. You were hardly able to believe it happened. 'This better not be another fucking dream,' you angrily wondered. You pinched yourself hard on the arm, leaving a small red mark on your skin. You winced slightly, but you couldn't help the smile that grew on your lips.

You returned your focus back on Hiei, who had suddenly stopped your passionate exchange. He looked to be in pain, but he never allowed himself to stop pushing against the barrier. Your reached out and rested your hand on his shoulder.

"Hiei?" you asked cautiously, worrying about his mental state. "Are you okay?" He turned to you, giving a wicked grin. You were about to ask him what he was smiling for when you noticed the sudden spike in his spirit energy. You quickly glanced at his burnt arm, noticing how the scars were less prominent. You immediately understood, 'The barrier that Ruka created...it's somehow able to heal us...?' You smiled to yourself, realizing the horrible mistake the enchantress made. With enough force, you and Hiei could burst out of the barrier before the match ended.

You slowly approached the edge of the barrier, and pressed your body against it. You winced, a strange surge of energy came rushing into your body. It felt similar to your healing powers, but more forceful. Your broken bones felt like they were being melted together, and your spirit energy felt as though it was being absorbed by the barrier and spit right back at you at full force. Despite how strong the barrier may have been, you could feel it's power weakening the longer you forced yourself against it. Though your energy was coming back, it was a tiring task; like trying to push a brick wall.

"What are your doing?!" Ruka screamed angrily. Hiei smirked a her, "Just trying out your so called 'impenetrable barrier.'" "You won't be able to break through, so just...stop," her voice faltered, giving her away. It was clear on her face she had not expected us to be able to stand the barrier's force, and she knew that the both of you may be able to free yourselves. You felt beads of sweat falling down your face, and your muscles were becoming sore. You stood back, allowing yourself to relax for a bit. You held your hands to your chest, the pain in your ribs had disappeared. Your stretched your arms and legs, feeling all the pain had vanished.

Hiei stood back, folding his arms over his chest, a cocky smile unfolding on his face. "I'm not about to hand this fight over to the detective and the fox," he said to no one in particular. You nodded your head in agreement, you wanted to help your friends too. Hiei tried to make it sound like he did not have faith in them, but you knew he was just worried they would get hurt. Seeing Kurama's current state after his first fight, you were worried he wouldn't make it out of the second.

********

After the match had been won (I'm too lazy to go detail by detail throughout the course of the match so I chose to skip to the end.)

Your POV

All your had work pushing against the barrier had been a waste. Your team had it all handled, with Kuwabara making a surprising recovery when Yukina had come to watch the tournament. You smiled to yourself, seeing your team in such good spirits after such a rough couple of matches. 'We're getting closer to fighting Toguro...' you thought to yourself. You felt your heart pounding, wondering if you or Yusuke had the strength to take him. You broke out in a cold sweat, your heart racing faster. Kurama turned to you, giving your arm a soft squeeze.

"Hey," he said in his soothing voice, "you okay?" You shook the thought out of your head and quickly, too quickly, but gave him a smile and waved him off. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Just a little tired I guess," you said all too cheerfully. He gave you a stern look, but he let it go. You sighed, knowing you'd have to come to terms with your worries eventually.

You all arrived at the hotel and were sitting in its dining hall, waiting for your food to come. Your waiter was very kind, and tried to persuade you to try one of his favorite dishes but you declined when you noticed Hiei reaching for his sword. He was acting strangely, almost territorial every time the waiter passed you.

When everyone's dishes were served, you happily dug in without a second thought. Gulping down huge chunks of meat from your BBQ ribs. You could feel the sauce being smeared all over your face, but you couldn't bring yourself to care. You were starving, and after your battle and trying to force your way through the barrier, you deserved to feast. You could feel eyes burning into your head, and you looked up to catch Keiko's face contorted with disgust. She blushed when she noticed you were looking at her and quickly looked back down at her food.

You swallowed the food you had in your mouth, and angrily said, "You got a problem, Keiko?" You didn't mean to sound so hostile, but you really weren't in the mood for her attitude. You were tired, what was she even doing here?

Her eyes widened with surprise, but she hurriedly recovered as she replied, "You're eating like these guys," she gestured to Yusuke and Kuwabara who were stuffing their faces. She gave you an angry look and you couldn't help but give her a bitter laugh.

"Who cares?" you shrugged. "I'm fucking hungry, Keiko. I'm fighting for my life here," you paused and gestured to the rest of the guys on your team. "We're fighting for our lives and the people we love. So sorry if tables manners are the last thing on my mind. I was taught to fight and survive, not how to act like 'a proper lady,'" you said with venom, and with that outburst, you got up and left.

You felt so bad talking to Keiko like that, especially since she was Yusuke's girlfriend. But she didn't have the right to pick on you like that. So what if you were eating like the guys? Why did she have to attack you when you were under so much stress?

You hurried into the room you and Hiei were sharing. You muscles still felt sore, so you decided to take a warm bath to help you relax. You stripped down, tied a robe around your body, and plopped yourself on the bed as you waited for the water to fill the tub.

Once your bath had been drawn, you turned off the light in the bathroom, lit a few candles, and slowly lowered yourself into the tub. You felt your eyelids grow heavy as your body welcomed the warm water. You surrendered to the hazy feeling, swearing to wake up in a few minutes.


	13. Bath time

Hiei's POV

"God, Keiko. What's your issue?" Yusuke demanded, angrily shoving noodles into his mouth. Keiko glared at him, cheeks burning with rage. "Are you kidding me? You're siding with her? She got pissy with me for no reason! Right Botan?"

The blue haired reaper looked away and turned her focus to the food. "Haha, what a delicious meal we have, wouldn't you say Kurama?" she said too cheerfully. Kurama gave her a stare, but politely went along with the distraction.

"If you ask me, your comment was a bit uncalled for," I scoffed. "Like the woman said, there are bigger issues to worry about. You could've at least handled your wording a bit better, instead of comparing her to these fools," I gestured to the detective and Kuwabara. They remained surprisingly silent, which only meant that they were too afraid to agree with me.

Keiko bit her lip and yelled, "I didn't mean to insult her! It's just so horrible! Watching all of you risk your lives! I was just so frustrated and on edge. I didn't mean to---!" her voice lowered drastically, to the point where it was barely audible. "I didn't mean to sound to harsh."

"All this drama has made me lose my appetite," I said, throwing down my napkin. Without another word, I walked off, hoping that I could be left alone and away from these humans. Thankfully, Kurama knew better than to follow me. I was in no mood to have a chat about my behavior. He would probably take note of how I sided with the woman, something I hardly ever do.

When I got to my room, I smelled the scent of lit candles. Everything was dark, so I had assumed the woman must have left and forgotten to blow them out. 'Humans are so careless, no wonder their species has to populate so quickly. They need to compensate for their stupidity and recklessness that leads them to their doom.' I walked into the bathroom where the scent appeared to have originated. I flicked on the lights and found the woman asleep in the tub.

Her body glistened, her hair was loose and splayed out in wet ringlets. Her face looked so relaxed, she almost appeared to be smiling in her sleep. My eyes wandered, focusing again on her body. My throat dried as I peeked at her breasts. They looked so soft, I had a sudden urge to wrap my mouth around it. And her legs, so long and slender.

I quickly turned and closed the door before I saw anything else. I leaned against the bathroom door, my face was burning hot and my pants felt too tight. 'I need to get out of here,' was the only thought coming to my head. But before I could make my escape, I felt myself falling back as the door opened. I fell to the floor, too engrossed in my thoughts to even bother catching myself. I tried to hold on to the nearest thing I could grab, but it was no use. I landed hard onto the floor, and with what appeared to be a moist towel landing on my face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've noticed my chapters have been getting shorter. v_v" sorry. But anyways, I do update a whole fucking lot because I have a lot of time on my hands, and I'm about a couple chapters ahead. So, I might post all I got soon. We'll see :D


	14. His Clothes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My boyfriend is reading my story. He's fucking reading this. Everyone act cool. Okay.  
> WELL ANYWAYS, here's a little something I've been working on. I'm sure there's some mistakes, I'll fix them eventually. But I wanted to make this chapter a little longer, like I said! Enjoy :)

Your POV

'What time is it?'

'Did I turn the lights on?'

'Oh god, I'm so sore, and pruny!' You slowly got out of the tub and watched as the water disappeared down the drain. You blew out the remaining candles while wrapping a towel around your body. When you opened the door, something snagged onto your towel and dropped to the floor, taking your towel with it. You gave a small scream, quickly covering your exposed, and now cold, body. The towel was covering the person's face, but based on the black boots and dark cloak, you immediately knew who it was.

"Hiei!" you shout, "what the hell are you doing here?" He pulled the towel off his face and glared at you.

"This is my room!" he retorted. He opened his mouth to say more, but stopped abruptly. He quickly sat up and looked away, his eyebrows were still furrowed in frustration, but a blush was slowly creeping across his face. You continued to stare at him, expecting him to say something else to piss you off, until you felt a drop of water trickling down your back.

'I should really get a towel to wipe that off or something,' you thought. Your eyes widened, and you gaped down at your still naked body; you covered what you could. Still not looking at you, Hiei handed you the towel, and your ripped it out of his hands.

"D-don't say anything," you said indignantly while wrapping the towel around yourself. He continued to look at the ground where he sat. Drops of water fell on his cloak, but he paid no mind to them. His face slowly calmed, and a smirk formed on his lips.

"Y-you look okay with your hair down," he mumbled in a low voice. You were caught off guard with how gentle he sounded, there was no venom in his words at all, no sarcasm. You slowly walked towards the bed, smiling to yourself. You touched your lips, remembering the kiss you shared in the nurse's tent. You felt a small breeze run past you, and when you turned, Hiei was suddenly there. You tightened your grip on the towel, holding it to your chest. Hiei leaned towards you and tenderly kissed your forehead. You closed your eyes, enjoying the moment of peace.

"Hiei?" you said, your voice sounding too loud in the silence of the room. He cupped your chin in his hands, titling it so you were looking up to him.

"Hm?"

"Wi-will you sleep with me tonight?" you asked. He smirked at you again, and gave a small chuckle. He nodded his head and walked towards the door.

He stopped before walking through the doorway and said, "I just need to take care of a few things." You watched him go, never saying a word. Your heart was thumping hard in your chest. You were about to change when you remembered, 'Almost all my clothes were destroyed after the explosion....' You panicked, knowing you couldn't just go to bed in the outfit you battled in.

It was too late to go shopping for clothes, not to mention all your money went missing after the bomb fiasco. You hesitantly walked towards Hiei's closet. You looked through his clothes and grabbed a pair of red shorts and a torn up black t-shirt.

'Weird, why do these shorts have a hole in the front? Wait, are these his boxers?' you blushed and raced back to the closet. You tried to look for anything else, but it was too late. You heard the door creak open, so you gave up and ran back to the bed. What would Hiei say when he saw you...?

*****

Hiei's POV

"I just need to take care of a few things," I said, and walked out the door. I walked down the hallway to a room a couple doors down. I stood there for a moment, then gave a hesitant knock. Kurama opened the door, giving me a lazy smile. He looked exhausted, I couldn't blame him, his victory against Touya was no small feat.

"Evening, Hiei," he said in a calming voice. "Is there something the matter?" He opened the door wider, leaning against the frame for support. I walked past him without saying a word, and quietly sat in a chair until he closed the door.

"So, I take it you had a lover's spat?" he asked, barely hiding the amusement in his voice. "No, fool. It's just..." I took a deep breath, unsure how to explain the situation without giving too much away. "Y/N has asked to share the bed with me. And I...well she...her and I shared a moment in the tent and I am unsure what my next move should be." I felt ridiculous asking Kurama for advice, but I wasn't sure where else I could've gone. I needed to get out of that room.

My heart was beating. This was such a rare thing for demons, especially me. Though our hearts do in fact beat, it's rare for it to beat in the same way a human's does. Faster. Stronger. With...feeling. It almost hurt. The room felt swelteringly hot, and she looked so bea---.

"This isn't the type of thing you can strategize, Hiei." I looked at Kurama who was back in his bed.

"I realize that, but I don't know how to go about this. I've never had to...I've never been in this type of situation!" My pulse was racing, I could hardly sit still in that goddamned chair.

"And what situation is that, Hiei? Love?" Kurama sat up in bed, raising his voice. If I didn't know any better, I would've sworn he sounded...angry. He hardly ever lost his cool, why was he so upset? I remained silent, unsure how to respond to not only his questions, but also his behavior. His green eyes gave me a cold stare as he waited for my answer.

"Wh---what if I did...?" was all I managed to say. I wouldn't dare say the word aloud. What if she heard me? What if she abandoned me like everyone else. What if...

"Then go. Tell her. Before it's too late." And with that, he plopped himself back down on his bed and closed his eyes. The conversation was over, and I knew what I had to do.

I ran back to my room, and found her laying in the bed. Her hair was was still wet, the scent of vanilla wafting throughout the room. The clothes she was wearing must've been mine, but I hardly recognized them as they hugged her body. The boxers rode up a little, showing so much skin, it should have been a sin. I stumbled to the bed, feeling as if I were in a dream.

"This can't be real..." I mumbled. She stared at me with wide eyes.

"What can't be real?" she asked worriedly. "If it's the clothes, I'm sorry. I couldn't find anything else and---." But I wasn't listening anymore. I slowly climbed on top of her and whispered, "You look...beautiful."

Then I took my hand, lifted her chin, and kissed her sweet lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was it? Let me know what you all think!


	15. Not Strong Enough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Last night was nuts. I woke up to a couple more hits, another kudo, and such sweet reviews. You're all so wonderful! Thanks for supporting me, and without further ado, the next chapter. :)

Your POV

"You look...beautiful," he mumbled, and then kissed your lips. He pushed you against the bed and locked his legs to your hips. Then he ravished your neck, biting and then kissing it. A moan escaped your lips, and he snickered at your response.

"My clothes look better on you than they do on me," he said softly. He nuzzled your cheek and you couldn't help but blush.

"I....I've never seen you so...," you hesitated, afraid to speak the words aloud. You didn't want to ruin the moment but you had to know. "I've never seen you this...well this feeling." You couldn't think of a proper way to describe how he was acting.

He went silent.

You looked away from him, knowing that you really messed things up. He sighed and pulled away from you. He laid beside you on the bed, staring at the ceiling. You turned to him, watching his expression change from one of amusement, to one of deep concentration.

"I just...you make me feel..." He took a deep breath. "You make me feel like I've found...what I've been searching for all my life." He turned to you and gave you a small smile, "You make me feel like I belong. Like I've found a place to call home."

And so, he finally told you. He told you how he wasn't accepted into his clan, back in Demon World. He told you how he joined a pack of thieves, but they were so afraid of his bloodlust that, they too, abandoned him. He told you how he had been searching far and wide for the land where he had once come from, to see his mother, and perhaps kill them all for leaving him to fend for himself. He travelled all that way, only to find that his mother was dead. He told you about his sister, Yukina, though you already suspected that. The jokes shared between Kurama and Yusuke gave it all away. He told you about his search for her, but now that that's complete, he felt he had no meaning again. He told you how he felt lost, and that's why he stayed in the group for so long.

He told you everything.

You sat there as the room grew darker, never saying a word. You finally understood his pain and why he acted so cold. You could relate to him, feeling so out of place in your own world, but knowing your pain could never compare to his.

Once Hiei had finished speaking, you leaned against his shoulder and linked your arm with his. You caressed his scarred hand, having nothing to say that could offer him comfort. You stayed that way until sleep took you.

*******

The next morning

Your POV

You and Hiei went downstairs to the lobby to meet with the rest of your team before the semi-finals. You noticed Kurama and Kuwabara were already there, but the spirit detective was nowhere in sight.

"Hey, where's Yusuke?" you asked, wanting to apologize to him for last night and promising yourself that you would fix the situation with Keiko.

"He's out somewhere with Genkai," Kuwabara answered. "He's always doing some cool secret stuff to make himself stronger. I don't know why Genkai doesn't help train me!" You couldn't help but laugh at his response.

You patted his back and smiled, "Trust me, you're not missing out on anything fun..." 'But why would Genkai pull him out today, before out match?....Unless...'

"...she wants to hand off her Spirit Wave...," you finished aloud. Everyone stared at you, tensions filling the air as they waited for you to explain.

"Well, if we win this, we're gonna be fighting against Toguro..." you elaborate. "Genkai must be preparing Yusuke for that moment, handing down her most powerful move. By giving him the ability to wield the spirit wave, she's giving him the possibility of defeating Toguro. The only problem is...," you took in a shaky breath before continuing.

"The only problem is Yusuke could die if he isn't able to control it." Everyone stood there in silence. Their faces we're twisted in fear and doubt.

Kuwabara was suddenly able to gather himself up as he cheerfully said, "We've seen Urameshi go through a lot worse! He can do it! I just know it!" Kurama smiled at him and Hiei merely grunted in agreement.

"The detective is tough. I'm sure this 'Spirit Wave' can't be that dangerous," the red-eyed demon said assuringly.

"If I may ask, why is that Genkai never taught you the technique. You were her student for much longer than Yusuke. You've been training much longer as well, why did she not choose you?" Kurama wondered.

"The Spirit Wave involved a physical transfer. Within Genkai is a Spirit Wave Orb; it's where most of her spirit energy lives. She transfers this orb into the body of her successor, so they will contain the ability she had to control the Spirit Wave. She can only do this once, so she had to be sure her successor was worthy. She did offer it to me before I left," you admitted, trying to conceal the pain in your eyes at the memory. "I declined, told her I didn't deserve that kind of power," you smiled weakly.

"I told her to hand it to someone who can do some real good with it. A real hero." A small tear formed in your eye as you mumbled, "To be honest, I was afraid. What if...after all that training...I wasn't good enough. What if the Orb killed me because I wasn't worthy. And if I lived...Genkai would be so disappointed....I couldn't bare to let her down again. It was bad enough I was leaving her... I just---" you tried to suppress your sobs, but the tears kept falling. You couldn't let your team see you like this.

So weak.

You ran out the doors of the hotel and went to the nearby woods. You needed to calm down, or else you would be a wreck during the match.

*********

Hiei's POV

"I didn't mean to upset her," Kurama said, guilt threaded in his voice. I was tempted to chase after her, I could have easily caught up, but I decided against it. She was the only female on our team, and I suppose that put a lot of pressure on her. She wanted to be strong, like her master. She didn't want any to hint to any weaknesses, especially before our next match.

"We better get going," I commanded. "There's no use trying to chase after her, we have a battle to win. That Shishiwakamaru really got on my nerves." The two don't say anything, they were probably worried because we were down two members.

I could make up for them easily, my hand was itching for a fight. In the back of my mind, I wanted to check on Y/N.

'I could just use my Jagan eye...,' but I shook the idea out of my head. I needed to focus on this upcoming match, otherwise we could all be killed.

**********

My battle with Makintaro was utterly disappointing. He made himself to act so tough; act being the key word. His eyes were too slow, and I easily overcame him. He should have just quit after I cut off his arm, though I must admire his efforts.

I turned to Shishiwakamaru, pointing my bloodied sword at him, I announced, "Roll again, Shishi. I guarantee the next one will be me, again." Of course I was correct, and it looked like my next victim would be Kuro Momotaro.

He gave me a cocky smile, and before entering the ring, he exchanged a few words with the old man. Once the old man, Onji, I guess, gave him a nod, Kuro pounced in, swelling with reassurance.

"Where's that babe from your team?" he asked, smirking at me. "I really wanted to fight her. Nothing gets me going like a girl with a little attitude." His smirk grew into an atrocious grin.

"I wouldn't smile too much," I said bitterly. "It'll make it too easy for me to cut your tongue out." I tightened my grip on my sword. I could feel my pulse racing, my blood was boiling. He talked about the woman like she was a piece of meat, if she were here, she would rip him to shreds.

"You know, it's kind of funny," he stated, the look in his eyes told me he knew something I didn't. "A lot of people tend to take a walk when they're upset. They like to stand by lakes, walk through parks...," he gave me a long look before continuing, "...some even like to walk though the woods..."

I didn't understand what he meant. There was something in the woods? 'Wait, he said when people were upset... He couldn't possibly mean...' The sound of his laughter drew me out of my thoughts.

"Don't worry, Hiei. She's fine. We won't touch her as long as you and all your little teammates agree to throw this match." He started chewing furiously on his gum as he continued, "Personally, I'm not a big fan of the whole deal. But, we need a sure fire way to win this round so we can fight Toguro. Of course, I'm not too concerned...I know I can beat you without the little ace up my sleeve."

I couldn't bring myself to move. If I didn't give up this match, they might kill Y/N. I looked back to Kurama and Kuwabara, 'Should I try and tell them? Maybe Kurama could save Y/N?'

"Don't even think about it short stuff," Kuro laughed. "The second any one of your team members leaves the arena, one of my guys will give the signal and kill your girl."

'Damnit! What the hell am I going to do? Should I just forfei---.' Kuro attempted to get the first swing, but I was easily able to dodge him. I had to think of something quick. I'm sure Y/N could handle a few thugs, but I wasn't sure how many they were or how powerful they could be. She could be in real danger, and here I was, putting her life on the line.

'I need to find a way to her. I'm basically gambling her life away if I stay here... Wait... Gamble.' I turned to Kuro... Yes, he looked to be the type to take risks. We were using dice to determine who fights for hell's sake. I shrugged and mumbled to myself, "What the hell...."

"Oh, has the great Hiei finally given up?"

"How's about we make this fight more interesting?"

Kuro raised an eyebrow, looking intrigued. "You've piqued my interest... Go on."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're all enjoying this story! Please let me know what you all think. I love to write fluffy scenes, but I think next chapter is gonna involve a little more action!


	16. Have Faith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks so much for the comments and kudos and just all the support. It just puts a big smile on my face and ugh <3 thank you! So tomorrow, I will NOT be updating this story. It's my birthday :D so I'm going to be busy. So in exchange, I've put what should have been TWO chapters into one! Hope you all enjoy.

Hiei's POV

"If I win this fight, you'll let the woman go unharmed and allow my team to have a fair fight."

He bursted with laughter, wiping away a tear as he replied, "And when you lose?"

I ignored his implication and answered coolly, "You can kill me and the rest of my team and we won't put up a fight."

Kuwabara seemed to have heard as he yelled, "NOW WAIT A MINUTE! I DIDN'T AGREE TO THESE TERMS!"

I angrily turned to him with fire in my eyes as I yelled, "THEY HAVE TAKEN THE WOMAN HOSTAGE. I WILL NOT ALLOW MYSELF TO LOSE THIS FIGHT IF HER LIFE IS ON THE LINE." I was surprised by the volume of my voice. I never allowed myself to get so emotional, especially over another person.

I turned away from Kuwabara, who was stunned silent. I tightly shut my eyes, I needed to concentrate. These emotions can't get in the way. But all I could see was her face. The way the tears fell down her cheeks as she wept.

'I should have gone after her,' was my final thought before I drew my sword again. I launched myself towards Kuro, ready to take his head.

**********

I struggle with the whole damsel in distress thing. The fantasy in me is like "ahhhh yes, Hiei save me." But like the feminist in me is like "HAHA NOT THIS TIME BITCH." So...

Your POV

You took deep breaths, trying the best you could to calm yourself. You were sitting on the grass, surrounded by the trees and the river.

You closed your eyes and listened.

The leaves rustled as the wind blew past. The river sang to you, babbling and rushing past. You stuck your hand into the water, loving how cool it felt on your skin. You knew the battle had already started, but you didn't want to leave just yet.

Your tears had finally dried and you were finally able to breathe easy again. You didn't want to admit it, but you were embarrassed. You cried in front of your team. You cried in front of Hiei.

You were supposed to be tough.

You were supposed to be strong.

You weren't supposed to be so...

So weak.

You fell to your knees; you could feel the tears forming, but your wouldn't allow them to fall.

'Not again,' you thought. You angrily splashed the water, unable to look at your reflection. You hated how pathetic you looked. God. Why couldn't you just toughen up? You couldn't face Toguro like this. You needed to be strong. At least strong enough to get your team to the finals.

'Maybe I won't fight Toguro, like I wanted. Maybe it wasn't meant to be my fight... But I can't just give up. I can't let my team down.' You stood up and smiled to yourself.

"I can do this!" you cheered, and ran to the stadium where the semi-finals were taking place.

'They probably just started the second match, I have plenty of time!' But as you were running, you sensed someone was following you. At first you thought it was Hiei checking up on you. But the energy...it was much weaker than his. You stopped running and turned around. You crossed your arms and tapped your foot impatiently.

"Um, hello?" you called. "Look, either just come out or quit stalking me. I really don't have time for this." You heard a rustling come from up above you. You looked up and saw an apparition leap out of a tree. He landed gracefully on his feet and gave you a sly grin.

"Listen, buddy," you started, not bothering to hide the annoyance in your voice. "I've had a pretty rough time as it is. Hell, my room fucking EXPLODED. So trust me when I say I am not in the mood for your shit." The demon squinted his eyes at you, and began to laugh.

"Listen, sweetie. I'm not gonna hurt you so long as you behave." He took a step closer to you. You grimaced as you took a look at him. His body was covered in blue scales, and he had such sharp claws that were pointed right at you. He had what looked like fins for ears and a long fin on top of his head.

"Are you some kind of mutated fish?" you asked aloud. He barreled over to you and pointed a claw at your neck.

"I am not a fucking fish. Don't you ever call me that again," he said in a threateningly low voice. You grabbed his wrist and pushed it away from your neck. Just from that quick exchange, you were able to determine his spirit energy levels. Sure, he was tough, but he wasn't as strong as some of the opponents you've faced during the tournament.

You slowly backed away from him, trying to appear as though you were frightened. He seemed to believe you, smiling and admiring his claws. You placed your hand behind your back, and tried to focus on summoning a weapon.

Physically summoning the weapon was the easy part, but trying to picture what you actually wanted the weapon to be like, that was a little harder. You had to make sure the weapon was made from the metals surrounding you, but they had to be strong. And then you had to try and picture what you wanted it to look like, how heavy it could be, and the list goes on. And to be able to do all that in a moments notice took years of training. Your mental abilities had to far exceed your physical strength, and that was the toughest part of Genkai's teachings.

You decided you would summon a sword. After all the practice you had with Hiei, you've improved remarkably. You imagined the smooth steel, pictured what it would feel like to swing it, to wield it. You felt the handle forming, gripping it tightly in your hand. Once you felt the full weight of the weapon, you whipped it out in front of you. The demon gasped, reeling back in surprise.

"How did you do that so quickly?" he demanded. But you ignored him, attacking him without pause. He was able to barely dodge your swings, but you were relentless. You brandished you sword every chance you got, refusing to give him a chance to attack. With a strung thrust of your sword, you were able to catch him by the fin that would be considered his left ear. He cried in pain, begging for you to release him.

"Who sent you?" you coldly asked. He whimpered in pain but didn't answer you. Your pushed your sword harder into his ear with one hand, then punched him hard in the gut with the other.

"Who sent you?!" you asked again, anger rising in your voice.

"ONJI!" he screamed, tears forming in his eyes.

You stared at him blankly, "Who...?"

"THE OLD MAN FROM TEAM URAOTOGI! PLEASE LET ME GO!"

You continued to ignore his pleas you wondered out loud, "Team Uraotogi... That's familiar... Oh! That's the team we're fighting today right? Honestly, all these weird names are so confusing..." The demon looked up at you, snot dripping down his nose.

"Please let me go..." You looked down at him and pulled your sword away. You pointed it at his throat, as he did to you with his claws. You allowed yourself to push the sword just hard enough to draw blood, making sure he understood that this was a gift.

"I'm allowing you to live. But understand this..." you paused, watching the blood drip down your sword with feigned amusement. "...if you ever try to pull a stunt like this again, I will kill you." You quickly reeled your sword away and walked off in the direction of the arena.

You didn't know how much time you had left or the shape your team was in. What if they needed you? These thoughts pushed you to run faster. And before you knew it, you could hear the faint roar of the crowd.

*****

Hiei's POV

"Understand, Hiei," Kuro said, "Once we agree upon this, there isn't any going back."

I smirked at him, "Yes, I'm fully aware of how agreements work. Thanks." I couldn't hide the resentment in my voice. He acted as though I were some sort of frightened child. I knew what I was getting into. I was willing to do anything at this point. I walked towards him and shook his hand, sealing the deal.

"You better not mess this up!" Kuwabara called. I shook my head, never leaving my eyes from Kuro.

'That oaf has already lost several battles for us. Does he really think I'll be the one to mess this up?'

"AND BEGIN!" the announcer shouted. And just as we began, Kuro pulled out what appeared to be some sort of ball.

"Here's a little trick I got, just for you," and he squeezed the ball, covering the ring with smoke. Once it cleared, his appearance had completely changed. His body had become larger and now he was covered by some sort of fur.

"Do you like it? It's only one of my layers of beast armor. It'll protect me from any sort of attack you may have. That is, unless you may want to try you Dragon on me?" He raised a brow at me, daring me to give it a try.

My right arm began to burn, I couldn't bring out that technique yet. I didn't have the strength to reel in the dragon and then try to control it. I tried to attack him with my sword, but it was no use. My sword broke in half after making contact with his "armor." My eyes widened with utter disbelief. I jumped back as far as I could, trying to figure out where he could be vulnerable.

"I wanted to fight you with my fists, anyways," I said nonchalantly.

"Oh come now, Hiei. Why not give me just a taste of that beloved Dragon of yours? I'm sure my armor would love to absorb its power, and make it worthless. Just like you." I stood back and glared at him. I couldn't let my anger get the best of me. I needed to concentrate in order to keep Y/N safe. I took my headband off, revealing my Jagan eye.

"Who am I to deny a fan's request?" I answered. A burning flame bursted from within me. I focused the energy to my right fist and bounded towards Kuro.

"Fist of the mortal flame!" I yelled, summoning it to life. I threw my fist into his ribs. I heard bones crush as I made impact, his face was distorted in pain.

'Good,' I smirked to myself. 'About time I wiped that stupid grin off his face.' I backed off and waited to see how long it would take him to recover. It didn't even take a second. He was back in action, taking another one of those steam balls in his hand.

He gave a high pitched laugh as he said, "Was that all you got, Hiei? Too bad. Now for the next Kuro Momotaro." He squeezed the ball, releasing another wave of smoke. And once it had cleared, he appeared before me, somehow looking worse than ever before.

"He looks like a mutated chicken..." I heard Kuwabara say.

"Well said..." Kurama mumbled absentmindedly.

"Now your fist of the mortal flame is useless on me!" Kuro claimed.

'Damn! This can't be happening. What am I going to do?' My face remained unchanged, I didn't want to believe it. I couldn't give up, I had to try and find some weak spot. Or at least think of a new technique I could use. My right arm was itching underneath my bandages.

'Should I...?' I touched my right arm, wondering if I had enough strength to do it.

"No Hiei! You'll get yourself killed!" cried Kurama. He was right. But I had to do something. I turned my attention back on Kuro, who was waiting for me to make my next move. I decided to at least give it another shot.

"Left yourself open," I said once I had reached him. "How about double fist of the mortal flame?" And then I made my move, giving each punch everything that I had. Clearly there was some damage. I left burn marks all over him, some of his skin was even burned off. His eyes remained wide open, he must have been in a lot of pain. I moved closer towards him, wanting to take a closer look at my handy work.

But it was a trap. And I, being the idiot that I was, fell for it. He landed several hits on me, each one was a remarkable blow. His last kick had me deep in the floor of the ring.

"I could just finish you as I am now...," he commented, "but it might be more fun just to go all the way." My face was still planted on the floor, but I could tell he was putting on another layer of beat armor. I slowly got up, and saw he had transformed himself into some sort of coyote mix. He sped towards me, he was so fast, I could barely avoid his attack. He swiped at me with his long claws, leaving a tear on my shirt, right above my heart.

'This looks bad,' I thought, backing away. 'I can't believe this. I may actually lose this battle. I'm letting Y/N down... I can't believe this is---.'

"WHAT ARE YOU BACKING AWAY FROM, HIEI?" a shrill voice yelled from my far right. I took a quick glance, not wanting to leave my eyes from Kuro for more than a second. The look went by almost too quickly, I was almost completely missed her (hair color) hair. I continued to watch Kuro, but every thought in my head froze.

"Sh-she's here. She's okay..." I mumbled. I couldn't believe it. Had Kuro been bluffing? Was there no threat at all? Or did the woman defeat the threat? My head was spinning with possibilities, trying to understand what Kuro's intentions really were. By the look of surprise on Kuro's face, it was clear he wasn't expecting the woman to be back.

He quickly regained his composure as he snarled, "This doesn't change our agreement. Remember, there's no going back." I remained silent. He was right, I was bound to my word. The woman may be safe now, but if I lose this, Kuro will get the chance to rip her head off himself.

"That won't happen." I slowly backed away from Kuro. I was trying to figure a way out when I landed on something with my foot. I looked down to find half of what was left of my sword on the ground. The handle was still in tact but the end of my sword was missing. An idea came to me, but I wasn't sure it was going to work.

I stole a peek at the woman, her eyes were burning with confidence. She had faith in me...even when it looked like my chances were slim. She knew I was in trouble, just by the way I was moving away from my opponent, but she still believed in me.

"What the hell...," I shrugged. "I hate this move. It lacks taste and artistry," I warned Kuro.

"I'm no snob. Give it your best shot!" He started running towards me as he said, "I was thinking of a vulgar move myself." He bared his fangs and leapt  at me. I shifted all the spirit energy I had left into my sword and hoped it would be enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! What did you think :D we all know what happens next, but the next chapter you'll be fighting ;D I hope you all had a great time reading. I'll be back Friday.


	17. The Lower Class

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. Here's the next chapter. I've been kinda down lately, so my next chapter might come a little later. I'm not sure. I'm sorry.

Your POV

You watched in horror as Hiei gripped his broken sword in his hands, Kuro racing towards him. His bared his fangs at Hiei as sprinted towards him. Blood was spewing out of Hiei's body. It was pouring all over the arena, but you were too shocked to make a sound. Your brain was yelling at you to get up there and do something, but your body was frozen.

Suddenly, a green fire burst through Kuro's back. Your heart started thumping hard in your chest when you saw Hiei leap forward, leaving Kuro's body on the floor.

"AND HIEI IS THE WINNER!" the announcer proclaimed. You let out a sigh of relief as you watched Hiei jump out of the ring. He slowly made his way toward you, giving you a small smile. You felt Kurama and Kuwabara watching you both closely, but you did your best to ignore them. Unfortunately, you couldn't hide the redness that crossed your cheeks when you saw Hiei's grin.

"What took you so long?" he asked jokingly. He gave your shoulder a soft shove. But as he dropped his hand to his side, he let it linger down your arm, giving you chills. You shook your head and smiled at him.

"Oh, it was nothing I couldn't handle," you winked. He gave you a smirk before returning his attention back to the center of the ring.

"And it appears that Ura Urashima and Kurama will be next to duke it out!" issued the announcer. Kurama made his way to the ring, along with a small boy with a fishing rod.

"Has anyone else gone besides you, Hiei?" you ask the fire apparition.

"No, Shishiwakamaru decided the terms."

"Oh...?"

"He rolls a pair of dice. Each die has the name of a member of the team, and a free space, anyone can go for the free space. I told him I would go for anyone not present on our team."

"So a person can go two times in a row? Or even more?"

"As long as they're alive...," he mumbled. You both observed Kurama's fight.

It seemed to have been an equal exchange until The boy with the fishing rod stumbled. Kurama had him on the ropes, but then the boy revealed a strange looking box. When he opened it, a layer of smoke covered them. It was sealed in by a forcefield; whatever was in there was staying there, trapping Kurama with it.

"How come that smokey stuff isn't coming to us?" Kuwabara wondered aloud.

"You really don't understand the concept of a forcefield, do you?" Hiei asked in an arrogant tone. You couldn't help but roll your eyes at him.

"Honestly, lay off Hiei. It took me a while to figure out what it was too." He widened his eyes at you in surprise, and ducked his head down in embarrassment.

Kuwabara laughed him, sticking his tongue out as he sang, "Haha! You got in troooOOOubleeee!" You let out a soft chuckle, it wasn't everyday that you got to frazzle Hiei. Suddenly the smoke began to clear, and you felt a wave of power run over you. You shivered, you've never encountered so much spirit energy in one place.

"Where could it be coming from?" you mumbled.

"This is Kurama's true form, Youko Kurama," Hiei answered. Of course you've heard of the legendary fox demon. But you never thought that him and the Kurama you knew were the same person.

Once the smoke cleared, you no longer saw the same person who went into the ring. Instead, there stood possibly the most beautiful creature you ever laid eyes on. He long silver locks with a gray tail and fox ears. He was dressed in a white sleeveless yukata and pants. He gave off a colder and more calculating demeanor than Kurama, and it gave you chills up your spine.

"He's...beautiful...," you whispered in awe. You eyes remained glued to this "Youko," but you saw Hiei quickly turn to you from your peripherals.

He stared at you for a while before turning away and mumbling, "He's okay." You stole a glance at Hiei, he had his arms crossed and he was angrily looking away from you. You turned fully to look at him. His lips were slightly pouted and a blush was dancing on his cheeks. You flashed a cocky smile and moved closer to him until you lips were just inches away from his ear.

"Is someone... jealous?" you seductively whispered. His widened his eyes in surprise, then angrily pushed you away.

"Back off woman! I don't care what your feelings are towards other men."

But before you could give a sarcastic response, the announcer yelled, "AND KURAMA WINS THE POINT!"

"What? How? He didn't even make a move yet!" you shouted to the announcer.

She shrugged at you and said into the mic, "Well Ura is dead and Kurama isn't. So..." She pointed to the body that was laying face down in a pool of blood. There was a sword stuck in the back of its head. It didn't look like Ura... Where could he have gone?

"Lower-class demons. They're so useless...," you heard Shishiwakamaru say.

"Th--that was a lower-class demon?" Kuwabara asked in shock.

"Yes, of course. They're the easiest to manipulate," Shishiwakamaru shrugged. He pulled the sword out of the demon's head, giving the body a disgusted look.

"You killed your own teammate?!" you yelled in disbelief.

"He was useless. He was going to give away all our secrets because he was afraid to die," Shishi explained. He made it sound like stabbing his teammate in the head was the most obvious thing to do.

"So," he continued, "who's up next?" He rolled the dice, and it landed on his name and yours.


	18. Thanks Kurama

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, 100 hits! I just can't believe all the people who have read/are still reading this story. I just wanna thank you all, specifically Allie, Plaidprint, Kuramasgirl, and Hieicho for commenting and supporting me! And thanks to those who are still reading :') well enough being mushy. Here's the next chapter.

Your POV

'Good, I can't wait to beat the crap out of that smug face of his.' You climbed into the ring and made your way towards him.

"Ah, wonderful," Shishi smiled. "I've been dying to see if you're as great as they say." He looked down at you, a dark grin forming on his face, "I look forward to destroying you and taking all the glory you once had." His words made you slow your pace, an for one second, you were actually frightened. Of course he was strong, you expected that. But you never anticipated him to be so blood thirsty. He was excited to ex you out, and for what? To be famous? His intentions made you want nauseous.

Once the announcer gave you both the okay to fight, you sprinted into action. You summoned the same sword you used on the fish demon in the woods, and charged at Shishiwakamaru. His eyes bulged, not expecting you to begin so fiercely, but he was just able to escape from your attack unscathed. He pulled out his own sword, and tried to counter your moves. He winced every time your swords made contact.

"Would."

"You."

"Lay."

"Off?" Shishiwakamaru demanded each time you swung your sword. You paused for a second, surprised by his reaction.

"...why?" you asked, backing away from him cautiously.

"Because," he said as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. "I have a trick I wanna show you." He began twirling his sword, almost like a baton. The sword beg and to make a terrible noise, releasing what looked to be clouds shaped like skulls. They attacked the audience and some came close to you. Admittedly, the noise was terrible, but you stood your ground.

"It's called the chorus of a thousand souls. Apparently it makes quite an awful noise, but to me it sounds like chirrups." He continued twirling the sword, slowly moving closer to you. The blasts from the sword became bigger, stronger; and he was aiming straight for you. There was a big bright light, then a huge blast. You were able to get out of the way just in time. Shishi was losing his patience with you, clearly he didn't expect you to live this long.

"I will be the one to destroy you! No human is going to take the glory away from me! Why. Won't. You. Die?" he asked after each swing of his sword. He didn't bother hiding the annoyance in his voice. His arrogance was starting to get on your nerves.

"You know. I was going to save this for someone important, but you're really pissing me off," you angrily say. You stopped dodging his attacks and caught his sword in between your hands.

'Here goes nothing...,' you thought as you began to absorb the sword's power. It was a trick Genkai taught you before you learned the spirit wave.

You could hear her rough voice in your head, saying to you, 'In case you are totally incompetent and can't use the Spirit Wave technique, I'll show you something that could save your life. This technique will allow you to momentarily absorb someone else's power. Use this technique in times of need, like when you are low on your own spirit energy. It could be of great use to you.'

The problem with the technique was that you were momentarily exposing yourself. You had to get close to the enemy and drop your defenses long enough to absorb their power. But luckily for you, Shishi was too surprised by the mere fact you were able to stop his sword with your bare hands to notice what your true intentions were.

You jumped back, satisfied that you were able to complete your task unscathed. Shishi noticed you weren't attacking, so he tried to take advantage of your hesitation. He tried to swing his sword at you, expecting there to be some sort of pained look on your face when you heard the horrible noise from his sword. But it was silent. His weapon had no power, and from the look of frustration on his face, he didn't know how. You smirked as you watched him slowly realize what you had done.

"How could you have done that?!" he accused.

You could hardly stifle your laughter as you asked innocently, "How could I have done what?"

"Don't act coy! How did you render my weapon useless!" You shrugged, pretending not to know what he was talking about. He angrily stared at his sword, turning it every which way. You took advantage of his cluelessness and raced up to him. You placed your hand on his chest, then used the energy you took from his sword, and blasted him away. His body was blown out of the ring and made contact with the wall surrounding the arena. He glared at you and quickly made his way back into the ring, and charged at you.

You stood your ground; the power in his sword would soon return, so you knew you had to make a move. You held your sword, and began reshaping it into a long, thick chain. You didn't want to kill anyone if you could help it.

And, let's face it, if you killed Shishi, some of his adoring fans may decide to attack you, and that would just be a pain. You ran towards him, swinging the chain in your hands. You threw it across, allowing the chain to wrap around Shishi's neck. You ran around him, securing the chain around his neck. You took both ends of the chain, and pulled hard. You heard Shishi gag, trying to take in any air he could, but to no avail.

You pulled him back towards you, allowing him to lean against your body. His face started to turn blue, so you loosened your hold. You put both ends of the chain in one hand, and began punching his face with the other.

"You're a really arrogant guy, you know? You're almost as domineering as my boyfrie---." You felt your face warming up as you realized what you almost said. Hopefully, the three-eyed demon didn't hear what you uttered. But you knew a certain fox would have been able to hear every word. Shishiwakamaru slumped against you, and you gently laid him on the ground. He looked up at you and smiled, clearly unable to fight back any longer.

"You know... I think I may have just fallen in love with you...," he mumbled, seeming to be in a haze after all the blows you gave him. "I've never... met a woman who could...be so brutal...yet so beautiful...," he continued before passing out.

"Well aren't I a lucky girl," you replied with a roll of your eyes.

"AND Y/N WINS THIS ROUND!" the announcer called. You hopped out of the ring and cleared your way to Kurama. You stood beside him, neither of you looking at each other.

Kurama's POV

"You say a word to Hiei and I will rip your beautiful hair out of your scalp," Y/N threaten lowly. I chuckled at her; I wasn't used to seeing her like this and to be honest, it was rather amusing.

"I wasn't planning on mentioning it to him," I answered honestly. She peeked over at me, trying to decide if I was telling the truth. She gave me a small smile as she decided to trust me.

"I have to apologize for before. I didn't mean to upset you about with my questions back at the hotel."

Now it was her turn to laugh, she replied, "Hey, don't worry about it!" She touched my arm and smiled widely, "I honestly don't know why I got so upset. Don't blame yourself for my personal issues." She clenched her fist before she continued, "I need to get stronger before we fight Toguro's team." I could feel the tension rising within her. I took her by the shoulders, and wrapped my arms around her.

For a moment, her body froze, then she slowly melted into my embrace. I felt my shirt becoming wet. I pulled her away and saw that she was crying.

"I need to become stronger. For you. For Yusuke. For Kuwabara and Hiei. I need to become stronger, otherwise...," but she couldn't finish her words. I wiped the tears away from her face.

"You are far stronger than you know. I've never seen anyone fight so bravely and with so much heart. You could've killed Shishi if you so chose. But you didn't. You were able to stop yourself. You think well on your feet and you are easily able to recognize your enemy's weakness. So don't sell yourself short."

She hugged me once more, nuzzling her face into my chest as she said, "Thanks Kurama."

"And what do we have here?"


	19. Trust Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank god for family functions. I completely avoided speaking to adults by writing this chapter. I hope you guys are still enjoying the story. Please let me know and support me through comments, kudos, etc. I really do appreciate all the support I've already been given. So moving on to the next chapter!

Hiei's POV

"And what do we have here?" I asked, trying to ignore the bitterness in my voice. The woman and the fox were wrapped in each other's arms, and it seemed to be quite a tender moment for them.

It was sickening.

"And now for the next round! Y/N from Team Urameshi! And Onji from Team Uraotogi!" the announcer yelled. I rolled my eyes, of course when I wanted to speak to the woman, she had to battle. She gradually pulled away from Kurama, her eyes glued to floor and sluggishly made her way to the arena. I turned to the fox, trying to resist the urge of ripping out his precious voice box.

"Now....Hiei...," he began, his hands raised, signaling me to stay calm. I glared daggers at him, and slowly made my way towards him. I should have been watching Y/N's match, but I needed answers.

"Why weRE YOU AND THE WOMAN EMBRACING?" I demanded, instantly losing my cool. My face was burning red, but I ignored it. I clenched and unclenched my fists, trying to calm down.

"It wasn't what it looked like. Honestly Hiei, do you really think I would try and do something like that when I know how you feel about her?" I knew he was right. I knew Kurama would never stoop so low.

The woman was mine.

And I was her's.

That's all there was and that's all there would be. But I couldn't avoid the voice in my head, screaming that something had happened between them. I massaged my temples, all this emotion was draining me.

"How do I know there ISN'T anything going on. She finds you attractive, at least she thinks your demon version is..." Kurama's eyebrows rose in surprise. "...and she's beautiful...," I continued, lowering my voice. I didn't want that fool Kuwabara to overhear our conversation. "...So I can't really blame you if you...felt something for her..."

Kurama gave me a small smile, "No Hiei. She's all yours. She just didn't want me to mention something she said in the arena..." His eyes widened as he realized what he just said. He started to walk off without another word, but I stopped him by grabbing his arm.

"What did she say in the arena? Was she threatened by that Shishiwakamaru? I'll kill him." My anger was rising again as I imagined the possible threats that could have been exchanged. She should have finished him off; after what he did to his teammate... His actions were unforgivable.

"No, no. It wasn't anything like that!" Kurama reassured me.

I raised a brow at him, "Then what was it? Spit it out!"

He gulped and whispered, "She accidentally called you her boyfriend..." I stood there in shock.

The woman wanted me to be her mate? Or rather, had already claimed me as her mate? Does this mean...she wanted to stay with me?

"Just don't mention it to her. I promised her I wouldn't tell you. And I'd hate to upset her further..." Kurama pleaded. I nodded my head absentmindedly, still pondering on the idea that perhaps the woman would make for a suitable mate.

'Perhaps... Perhaps I should tell her. I should tell her how I feel.' I rolled my eyes at the idea. I wasn't even sure how I felt, how could I explain it to the woman? 'What if she doesn't feel the same way? What if I let her in and she leaves... Just like everyone else?' I paused. 'Why do I care? Who cares if she leaves? Let her leave! Who needs her...' But a small voice in the back of my mind, a voice I'd been trying to keep quiet after all these years finally spoke up.

'You need her. You said it yourself! She feels like home to you.' I winced, hearing those honest words slice through me. 'So that settles it. I'll tell her once the tournament ends,' I silently swore to myself.

"TEAM URAMESHI IS KNOCKING THEIR WAY TO THE TOP! NEXT TIME YOU SEE THEM, IT'LL BE AT THE FINALS!" the announcer shouted. The woman had won the match? I was hardly paying attention... I was too wrapped up in my own thoughts to have seen noticed.

I took a look at her opponent. I at least payed enough attention to find out that the old man was really an idiot in a disguise. But now, he was covered in so many bumps and bruises, you could hardly recognize his face. I thought it was befitting, to say the least.

The woman wouldn't make eye contact with me as she stepped off the stage. She walked past me and left the arena, never saying a word.

'Did something happen? Was she upset with me?' My heart began to ache at the thought. I placed my hand over my chest as I watched her walk out. 'What was this woman doing to me?'

Your POV

After the winning battle, you decided to take off. You felt somewhat guilty for making Hiei think there was something going on between you and Kurama. You walked out of the arena, not saying a word to anyone. Once you got back to the hotel, you flopped onto the bed and let out an exasperated sigh into your pillow.

'Why do I care? I didn't do anything wrong! But why do I feel like shit?' You groaned into the pillow, splaying your limbs so it covered most of the bed. You just wanted to stop feeling altogether. You were so done with worrying about Toguro and Hiei and just everything.

"ENOUGH!" you screamed, sitting upright. You heard the door close shut and found Hiei staring at you, his eyebrows raised in question.

"I'm...sorry?" he asked, trying to understand your sudden outburst. At first you felt embarrassed, you didn't know Hiei was standing right there. But then you remembered how he acted earlier towards you and Kurama, and your anger resurfaced.

Your blood started boiling as you yelled, "LISTEN. I AM NOT YOUR POSSESSION. JUST BECAUSE I HAVE FEELINGS FOR YOU DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO ACT SO... SO....WELL POSSESSIVE! IT WAS A HUG. YOU KNOW I WAS ONLY TEASING YOU. I DON'T HAVE FEELINGS FOR KURAMA. MY GOD AND---!" But before you could finish your rant, Hiei's lips crashed into yours. His kiss was rough at first, but once he felt your lips kissing back, he softened it. Your heart was beating erratically. You were still angry with him, but his lips were so warm. You wanted to punch him for interrupting you, but then he started to make his way down your neck.

"Hiei...," you warned. Of course you wanted to keep going, but you had to discuss the issue at hand. He needed to understand how you felt, otherwise the situation could get worse.

He sighed frustratedly, but he stopped. He sat next to you on the bed, looking slightly annoyed. You rolled your eyes and continued, but this time you were a lot calmer.

You started to blush as you began, "Look, I have...strong feelings for you. And I... I want you to understand that..." You looked away from him. You needed to say what was on your mind before you backed out.

Sighing, you resumed, "I want you to know... That I want to be yours. And I want you to be mine. But," you looked him in the eye as you finished, "you need to trust me. You need to know that I would never want to hurt you. And...," you held his hand and gave him a weak smile, "and I will never leave you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saw how I slipped the title in. Oh yeah! Please leave comments and kudos :) I really wanna know what you guys think!


	20. The Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest...I'm a bit iffy on this chapter... So I might change it if you guys think it sucks. I'm driving back home from college today so I'll be a little busy. So I might have to update a little late tomorrow!

Hiei's POV

"...I want to be yours. And I want you to be mine..." My heart pounded in my chest, something only she had the ability to do. She was speaking my thoughts out loud. Somehow she was able to look within me and discover my greatest fears. She knew me, she understood me, and she cared about me.

"...and I will never leave you."

"I need you," I blurted out. I held her hands in mine and took a deep breath as I repeated, "I...need you. I need you to stay with me. I've never..."

I gulped down my pride, Kurama was right. I had to tell her now before it was too late. "I've never felt this way before. Y/N, I lov--." I was interrupted by a knock on the door. I rolled my eyes and let out a long sigh.

'Seriously? It took me so long to work up the fucking nerve...' I answered the door and found the old hag standing in front of me. She looked past me, addressing only the woman.

"We need to talk privately," the hag ordered. I didn't see why she wouldn't just talk here, since to her I was practically invisible. The woman stood up with a look of concern on her face. She knew something I didn't. She gave me a quick peck on the cheek as she walked out.

Part of me knew it would be wrong to follow them, but I didn't really care. I needed to know what could possibly have upset the woman so much. Perhaps I could help her; I hid high up in the trees as I watched the hag and the woman walking deep in the woods, then stop in front of a cave.

"Yusuke completed his training," the hag said.

"Well, that's good. Does he stand a chance against Toguro?"

The hag smiled and replied, "Maybe. If that dimwit had half the focus and drive you do, he'd win for sure."

"So seriously Genkai. What's the matter?" There was silence for a while, the old psychic stared deep into the cave.

"Toguro will be coming after me..."

"Wh-what?"

"As you know, he and I have quite a long history... He has an insatiable need to prove his strength, and the time has finally come for us to battle once again."

"BUT YOU GAVE ALL YOUR POWER TO YUSUKE!"

"I am fully aware of what I did. I am prepared to accept whatever may come from this fight, and I wanted to make sure you were ready to accept them as well." The woman had tears streaming down her face, but she slowly nodded.

Despite her tears, her face remained calm. It appeared she had already known that Genkai was going to face Toguro, but of course, that didn't make the pain any more bearable.

"Don't be such a wuss," the old woman scolded. Then her expression softened as she murmured, "It's going to be okay... I love you... You're like a daughter to me." Then Genkai grabbed her in a warm embrace. I looked away, not wanting to ruin their moment by being an onlooker.

***********

Your POV

You slowly opened your eyes and stared at the hotel room's ceiling; your head rested on Hiei's arm. You snuggled closer to him, stealing some of his heat. He snored softly, his headband fell around his neck and his hair was sticking up in random places.

You smiled to yourself, never expecting to share such a serene moment with him. His features softened while he was sleeping, and you could feel yourself falling deeper for him.

As much as you wanted to stay in the sweet surrender, you had to prepare for the final round. It was going to be an intense battle, but you couldn't let that thought scare you.

You considered meeting with Kurama to watch Toguro's team fight during their semifinal match, but you didn't want to psych yourself out. You needed all the time you could get to train. Maybe you could find Genkai, and she could give you some last minutes tips.

*********

Kurama's POV

I watched as Toguro's team fought in their semifinal match without their leader, like we did. Though we had a valid reason, the elder Toguro brother claimed that his younger sibling decided not to show because it would be a waste of his time. It was clear to see that they were all incredible fighters.

But one in particular stuck out to me, and that was Karasu. He was able to blow up his opponent by merely touching them. It was intimidating, but I knew I had to be the one to fight him. As I walked away, I noticed two figures waiting for me at the end of the hall.

"So you were the only one to watch the match, Kurama. Your team must be pretty confident...," Karasu noted. Bui punched a nearby wall in frustration, momentarily distracting me. By the time I looked back, Karasu was gone.

'I only turned away for a second...' Then I felt a hand caressing my hair.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" I panicked. I tried to land a blow on him, but Karasu was able to slip away from me.

"No need to worry Kurama. One member of your team will die today, but it won't be you, ... Not just yet," Karasu commented before walking away.

'One member will... Die? Does he mean in battle? Is he talking about Yusuke?' I shook my head, he was trying to get to me. But perhaps I should check on everyone, just to make sure...

*********

Your POV

You searched for Genkai in the woods where she had taken you the day before. She wasn't in her hotel room, so it was likely she was training with Yusuke in the woods.

"Genkai! Where the hell are you? I need some advice!" you called. You stopped in front of the river, wondering where else could she be.

"She's not here," a deep voice answered you. You turned around and found Toguro himself, smiling down at you. You tensed up, not knowing where else you could go. He could easily catch up with you if you tried to run.

"Wha-what do you want?" you stumbled over your words. Your heart was beating so hard, you wondered if he could hear it.

"I came to meet with you... I know you've been dying to...have a word with me...," he drawled. You clenched your fists and made your way up to him. You were only a few feet away from him, but he towered over you. You looked up at him, fury in your eyes. You didn't care how strong he was, you needed answers. Your eyes stung with the tears you were bent on holdin back.

"Why...," you mumbled in a dangerously low voice. "WHY DID YOU KILL MY PARENTS?" you demanded. You threw your head back, determined to look him the eyes. He took off his glasses and peered down at you. You continued to glare at him, but when your eyes met, he seemed to give you a look of...was it pity? Sadness?

"I didn't kill your parents," he replied. You felt your blood boiling.

'How dare he. HOW DARE HE ACT LIKE HE DOESN'T REMEMBER THEM. HOW COULD HE FORGET?'

"DON'T YOU DARE LIE TO ME!" you yelled, shoving him away. He barely moved an inch, and that frustrated you more. "YOU KILLED THEM. I SAW YOU. I SAW YOU!" You fell to your knees. He didn't even lay a finger on you, but you already felt defeated.

'How could he not remember them?' He gently placed his hand on you shoulder, then tilted your chin up so you were looking at him once more.

"They weren't your parents, Y/N. Genkai and I...we are your real parents..."


	21. Give Up

Your POV

Your eyes widened, you must have misheard him. He looked down at you and smiled gently. No, you heard him right.

"That doesn't make sense...," you mumbled to yourself. Toguro nodded his head in understanding. He squatted down next to you, hand still on your shoulder.

"After the Dark Tournament Genkai and I won, we went our separate ways. But not too long ago, I decided to see her again. I...I loved her. I loved her despite her choice to not to join me in becoming a demon. And she never gave up hope in me."

He sat down beside you, looking like a boulder next to you. "To make a long story short, we got together, and made you, though she never told me about you. I suppose she was too ashamed that she was still in love with me. She was frustrated that, though I loved her, I wouldn't change for her. I refused to be turn back into a human and grow old with her. I was angry with her for choosing to become so weak.

Even after all this time...So I left, never knowing about you until a few years after you were born. But she had already given you away." He clenched his fists and punched the ground hard, creating a small crater.

"She gave you to her closest friends. They always wanted a child, but were unable to have their own. Knowing Genkai, she probably thought she wasn't good enough to be a mother. And for me to be a father...," he let loose a low chuckle. "It would have been a mess. But she could've at least tried to take care of you... So I gave her no choice. I killed those fake parents of yours. You deserved to be with at least one of your real parents. You look a lot like her you know. When Genkai was younger... She was just as beautiful as you..."

When he finally finished, you stood up and punched his face with everything you had. "I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE MY REAL FATHER. THOSE PEOPLE. THOSE PEOPLE YOU MURDERED. THEY WERE MY PARENTS. THEY LOVED ME. THEY ACCEPTED ME. AND YOU TOOK THEM AWAY. YOU DIDN'T DO IT FOR ME. YOU DID IT FOR YOURSELF." You took in shaky breath and then continued, "You did it to punish Genkai. You wanted me to be a reminder for her. That despite you being a monster, she still loved you. No matter what she says, she loved you at some point. That's why you killed them..." Toguro placed his glasses back on his face and stood up.

"So I'm a monster, hm? Yet you still choose to sleep around with a demon?" You felt you face burning red, but you ignored it. You were too infuriated to dignify he sly comment with a response. You quickly summoned a large knife, ready to stab him in the back of his head when he snatched something out of the trees.

"Hiei?" you whispered in surprise, dropping your knife.

********

Hiei's POV

I woke up alone in the bed, 'Perhaps the woman went to go get herself something to eat...' I was rubbing the sleep out of my eyes when I heard a knock on the door. I groaned, not wanting to get up just yet. I found the fox demon standing on the other side of the door. He walked past me and started looking around the room, his eyebrows creased in worry.

"What is it, Kurama?" I asked, climbing back into bed.

"Where's Y/N? I have to talk to her..."

"About?" I lazily opened one eye, still not understanding his concern and I was quickly losing my patience.

"Well I was given a threat from Team Toguro... And perhaps they were just trying to get in my head...But I just wanted to make sure everyone was on high alert, just in case."

I quickly sat up in the bed, "The woman. You didn't see her downstairs?"

"I wouldn't be looking for her if I did," he replied sarcastically.

"Maybe she's training in the woods. I'll look for her. Did you warn the others?" Kurama nodded in response. I ran out of the room in search of the woman. What if she was in trouble?

As I expected, she was in the woods. But she wasn't alone. She was having a word with Toguro, and I was able to catch a few words that were exchanged. I widened my eyes as I pieced the phrases together.

'Toguro and Genkai are her PARENTS?' I perched myself on a branch, trying to understand it all. Then, I felt a large hand take hold of my coat, pulling me out of the tree.

"Hiei?" the woman said in surprise. She dropped what appeared to be a knife.

'Was she planning on killing him with that measly thing?'

"So, this is the demon that you've been messing around with. He's a decent fighter, I'll give him that," Toguro smiled while still holding on to me by my coat. My feet dangled, barely scraping the ground.

"Let him go!" Y/N demanded. She had regained her composure, gripping the large knife in her hand.

Toguro laughed, "Whatever you say, dear." And he threw me deeper into the woods, allowing about five trees to cushion my blow.

'I have to get back to the woman!' And I ran as fast as I could. I made it just in time to see Toguro rip the woman's heart out of her chest.


	22. Last Words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! We're nearing the end of my story :) just one more chapter! This one is a little short, but there's a reason for that. I might post the last chapter when I get back home. As always let me know what you think! Comments and kudos are always appreciated!

Your POV

"Let him go!" you screamed. Your head started to spin and your palms were sweating. You wouldn't let Toguro hurt Hiei, but you knew you had no chance of taking him on.

Toguro gave you a wide grin before sarcastically answering, "Whatever you say, dear." Then he threw Hiei deep into the woods, allowing the echoes of trees falling to the ground to fill the air.

'Well, better that than being killed by Toguro,' you thought.

"Toguro, I don't care if you are my father," you pointed your knife at him. "I'm going to kill you, even if it's the last thing I do."

"I don't want to fight you... But I want to know something." You cautiously lowered your weapon, allowing him to speak further.

"Why didn't Genkai teach you, her only child, her signature technique?" he asked, sounding almost bitter.

'Why was he so upset?' you wondered.

"Why does it matter to you?"

"Because, although Urameshi is strong, you are the obvious choice in this situation. If you had her power now, you'd actually stand a chance against me."

"She wanted to give me her power, but I refused..." Toguro clenched his fists, seeming angry with you for the first time since you arrived.

"Why would you decline an opportunity for such amazing power? Why would you let someone else who is not as deserving just... Just take it?"

"I have my reasons," you shrugged. You refused to let his anger frighten you. You had to remain in control, otherwise it would all be over.

"I was wrong about you. You're more like the old woman than I thought. You're both weak. Clearly not strong enough to wield such strength, as myself. You're no child of mine. Just a disgrace....like your mother."

He was swift, but everything slowed down once he jammed his hand through your chest. You felt him lift your body with one hand, and wrapping the other around your heart.

The pain was unbearable, but what was worse was seeing him. "Hiei," you whispered. He witnessed it all. He was frozen behind a tree, his eyes wide with terror. You didn't want him to see you like this. Not when you both had come so far together. Not when things were finally going right for you two.

A tear streamed down your face as you took one last look at him. You mustered all the strength you had left, but you were only able to utter, "Hiei, I lov---." Then you felt a sharp pain in your chest.

And everything went dark.


	23. Going Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is it guys. This is the end. I hope you all enjoyed reading this. I'm so happy you took some time out just to read this story. Thanks everyone! :)

Hiei's POV

"Hiei, I lov---." But that was all she had time to say before that bastard ripped her heart out. I didn't realize I was screaming until Toguro finally looked at me. He dropped the woman like she was garbage, and walked over to me. I summoned the Dragon of the Darkness Flame, and waited for him to come closer.

"Enjoy your trip to hell, you bastard!" I yelled, my voice choking up. I released the dragon, watching as the flames engulfed him. Toguro's body had taken major damage. He was covered in third degree burns and his left arm was burnt off. But he was able to quickly heal himself, regenerating his arm as if it were nothing.

"You're not the one I was meant to fight. So, MOVE OUT OF MY WAY." And he punched me hard across the face, I thought my skull would detach from my body. I flew miles away from where Y/N laid. I couldn't see out of one eye, and I had lost all feeling on the left side of my body. I forced myself to get up, I had to to retrieve Y/N's body.

'Maybe Genkai could heal her. Maybe Koenma could bring her back. Maybe... Maybe if we won the tournament I could wish...'

Everything was looking grim, but I couldn't lose hope. She swore she would never leave me, and I believed her.

When I finally reached her, it felt as though my own heart had been ripped out. My knees buckled, dropping me to the ground. My hands shook violently as I tried to take hold of anything that wouldn't cause her pain.

There was a gaping hole in her chest, and her heart rested on the ground beside her.

Her eyes.

The eyes that once held so much love and so much joy, were now lifeless. I touched her hands, but they were freezing cold.

I knew what that meant.

Any idiot with a brain cell knew what that meant. But I rejected the idea.

'She's not dead.'

I shook her shoulder, "Please Y/N, wake up."

But it was quiet.

I shook harder, "Please wake up!"

Silence.

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. Tears fell from my eyes, landing on her pale face. There was no point in hiding it anymore. Sobs were escaping my lips. Each breath I took left me with an empty feeling in my chest.

"You swore you would never leave me. You swore!" I yelled. I shouldn't have been yelling at her when she had done nothing wrong. But I was so angry.

I was angry I wasn't able to stop Toguro.

I was angry I didn't wake up to make her stay in bed with me.

I was angry I hadn't come sooner.

I was so fucking angry at myself.

I rested my head against hers as I whispered the words she'll never get to hear me say, "Y/N, I love you. You can't just leave." My voice started to crack as I begged, "Please. I can't live without you. You're my home. Where do I go now? Where do I---?" I punched the ground, not knowing what else I could do to get rid of this rage.

I punched it again.

And again.

And again. I kept hitting it until my fists were bloody. Eventually, I rose up and picked Y/N's body off the ground. Her heart was back in her chest where it belonged. I felt sick picking it off the ground, but I couldn't just leave it there.

I carried her all the way back to the hotel, ignoring the stares and screams the guests exchanged when they saw us.

I didn't care anymore.

I laid her body on my bed and waited. It wasn't long before everyone had arrived at my room. I told them everything I had witnessed, my voice sounding empty of any emotion.

I was finished with crying.

I was finished with feeling.

I was finished with this life.

I was finished with it all.

When the old psychic had seen Y/N's body, she began to cry uncontrollably. "I was a fool to have thought Toguro would have been after me. I should have protected her. I should have been the one to die." I was barely listening to her at this point. Everyone was trying to console me, it made me sick.

"You know we don't blame you Hiei, right?"

"You couldn't have done anything, Hiei."

"Toguro is one of the strongest demons out there, don't blame yourself."

But what was the point? She was gone. And it was my fault. There was no point in trying to pretend it wasn't. The proof was right in front of us, laying in my bed, the bed we once shared.

"There's nothing you can do Koenma?" Yusuke asked, drawing me out of my daze.

Koenma had a look of deep concentration on his face as he mumbled to himself, "I'm not sure... You were a special case, Yusuke. I can't just bring back anyone from the dead. I'd have to consult with my father..." He looked up at me and continued, "Plus, it all depends on Y/N and if she even wants to come back." His voice made it perfectly clear that he knew something I didn't. But I tried to ignore his implications.

'Why wouldn't she want to come back?'

**************

After the tournament

"Back to a life of various crimes," I muttered to myself. The arena had fallen, and even though we had won, we would not be granted any wish we desired.

Not that I believed they even had the ability to bring Y/N back. Still, at least that small chance gave me hope. The idea alone made me find the strength to fully conquer the Darkness technique and defeat Bui. But now, that small glimmer of hope has disappeared for good.

I stood on a railing on the boat, watching as the waves crashed around beneath us. I wasn't sure what to do now that the tournament was over and she was gone...

"Hey Hiei," the detective said somberly. He looked down at the ground, refusing to make eye contact with me. "I... I'm sorry."

"For what?" I asked, not interested in sharing a sentimental moment with him.

"For your loss."

"That wasn't your fault. Nor is it your problem."

"I just want you to know I'm here for you. That's all."

"Well that's very touching. So glad I have a shoulder to cry on," I rolled my eyes at him. I was tired of everyone's pity. Even Kuwabara shared his condolences.

The detective ignored my snide comment as he continued, "So, what are you going to do now? Gonna head home like the rest of us or are you going to just take some time off?"

Home. The idea made me laugh. I had no idea what home was. I was kicked out of the "home" I was birthed into. I was abandoned by the "home" that had raised me. And then I finally found someone who had loved me. Someone who had accepted me for who I was. Well, as fate would have it, that home had to be taken away from me as well.

I could still see her, every time I closed my eyes. I could still hear her laugh. I could still feel the warmth from her hands. I could still see the color that sprinkled her cheeks when we kissed.

Her kiss.

Her soft lips.

Her scent.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I will find a way to bring her back, even if I had to kill King Yama himself.

Finally I answered the detective, "Yes. I'll be home soon enough, but first I'll have to find my way." The detective looked at me with wonder in his eyes, I believe he knew what I meant, but he remained silent.

I was going to see her again.

I just knew it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm planning on writing a second part to this story. Clearly there's some unfinished business. I want to continue with the Three Kings arc but I might touch the Sensui arc. It wasn't my favorite arc, but there is a particular scene I wanna write about. So we'll see. Thanks again to everyone who supported this story!
> 
> UPDATE: The second part of Trust Me is posted up now! It's called Remember Me


End file.
